Finding a Place to Call Home
by Celestial Moonlight Blade
Summary: "Haven't you wondered if there's more to the world then a backwards, prejudiced society?" When Harry asks Astoria Greengrass this question in a fit of temper after he's forced to compete in the tournament, he wasn't expecting her answer - or that he'd go along with her decision to run away with him and see the world. Can two different people find happiness? HarryxAstoria
1. Chapter 1

**Finding a Place to Call Home**

**Moon: Hello, I'm back in the name of alternate pairings and new stories! Welcome to Finding a Place to Call Home, my second HarryxAstoria fic if you count Trouble (which was my first and possibly only harem). I've modified several parts of the story to keep from hitting cliches and common happenstances to make a more original story. I hope you like it! I do not own Harry Potter.**

**Chapter 1: Wild Child**

Harry wondered what prompted him to snap at Astoria Greengrass.

His last few weeks – ever since his name had come out of the Goblet of Fire – had been stressful and extremely unhappy. Walking out of yet another summer with the Dursleys, he had at least been hoping to keep up with his studies and stay out of the spotlight for his fourth year at Hogwarts. For once, there had been no warnings of impending doom, or threats to his person before he reached the school, which fooled him into thinking that nothing would go wrong this year.

He was looking forward to just sitting back and learning new things. Even Quidditch being cancelled didn't dampen his mood, despite how much he enjoyed the sport, because he was so certain that, for once, nothing bad was going to happen to him. He was away from the Dursleys and with his best friends. Even classes with Severus Snape didn't threaten to ruin his year.

Of course, then he had gone to the Quidditch World Cup. And Death Eaters had attacked. Harry was beginning, at this point, to wonder if he was jinxed. Voldemort was supposed to be gone, he had beaten him twice. Now his followers were attacking an actual settlement, and for some reason no response teams had met them. Either way, the dark mark was in the sky and Harry was almost blamed for it. Like he was blamed for all kinds of stupid things.

He got to Hogwarts, and with the buzz of the Tri-Wizard Tournament and the arrival of two other schools, Harry could almost forget about the disastrous end of the World Cup. For once, the other students and teachers would be watching someone else to incredible things.

Coming up to Halloween, Harry had begun to get nervous. He had a lot of bad associations with this day, the day his parents were murdered and he was consigned to life with the Dursleys, a short, bitter life with no friends and no safety, even when he got to a school where he should have been safe. The people there – they would have been friendly, and they usually were. Until something happened.

Like when McGonagall docked him and Ron over 100 points trying to save Hagrid from getting into serious trouble. Or when he was accused of being the Heir of Slytherin. And now.

Now, someone had put his name into a Tournament.

A Tri-Wizard Tournament, the winner getting eternal glory. Good grief. And they had Ron believing it this time, too. Hermione hadn't said she believed it, but she hadn't said anything, which was as good as the same thing.

Hufflepuff had been most vocal in their outrage, because clearly he was just there to upstage them now that they finally had a high-profile house member. God knows that no one would _ever _put Harry's name in without his permission. That had never happened. It wasn't like he had been in life-threatening situations before that no one could be bothered to protect him from.

What would Harry want with eternal glory? He was already the bloody brat who defeated Voldemort, that was more then enough for one person. Especially since it had earned him an assassination attempt when he was eleven.

He had enough of eternal glory; he despised it at this point. He would rather be Harry nobody then Harry Potter, boy-who-lived-to-have-a-target-painted-on-his-back.

Finally, after one particularly nasty taunt from Susan Bones and Hannah Abbot – those buttons that said Potter Stinks – Harry was fed up. He decided to isolate himself.

He didn't join the classes for meals; he ate in the kitchen with the help of Dobby. He stayed invisible in the hallway. He sat at the back of the class, never talking to anyone.

The task with the dragon had almost killed him. Some people seemed to be resentful that it hadn't. Ron and Hermione had tried to talk to him afterwards, but he had deftly dodged them. Just thinking about them hurt.

He barely slept at all these days, just going outside and staring at the sky or hiding away in the library, reading books. Trying to numb the pain and loneliness. Wondering if there would ever be a place where he would be accepted, and not having to constantly look over his shoulder for the next wannabe dark lord supporter who wanted him dead in the name of blood purity.

Harry gave a bitter chuckle one dark night. Hadn't Vernon told him? Just before Vernon had sent him to Platform Nine and Three Quarters, he had told Harry that the wizards wouldn't want him either. Harry hadn't listened to him.

Now, obviously, he should have.

Harry hated it when Vernon was right about something.

It would be worth having never heard of magic, he thought, if it meant an end to this pain.

The very next day, as if someone had overheard his wish, Harry ended up meeting someone. Someone different.

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Harry was reading in a corner when he heard footsteps approaching. His eyes flicked up just over the rim of the Potions textbook he had been reading to pass the time. If Snape hadn't been such a cruel teacher, he probably would have enjoyed the subject.

The green trim of her robe identified her as a Slytherin, and he couldn't repress a groan. Great. She was probably one of Malfoy's fangirls, or Pansy's group of followers who lashed out with cruel words and curses for the chance to be her friend. And he'd had been so certain that the Slytherins wouldn't come into this part of the library.

"Oh, please don't sigh like that." The Slytherin said, sounding a little hurt. Her voice was nicer and gentler then he'd been expecting. "I'm not a bully."

Harry blinked, and looked up at the girl's face.

She was young, perhaps a year younger then Harry himself. And she was beautiful. Her skin was light, and her face had an aristocratic carve to it characteristic of a pureblood. She had high cheekbones and bright green eyes. Her hair was wild and blonde, very meticulously pulled together by two long braids going down her back. The school robes made it a bit difficult to tell, but she was well-built for a girl her age. There were a pair of sparkling ruby earrings dangling from her ears.

"I can't remember the last time I had a conversation with someone who wasn't." Harry responded after a few minutes. His voice was scratchy, because he hadn't been using it very often over the past few weeks.

The girl looked sympathetically at him. Harry wondered if he was imagining things – that this girl was just a figment of his mind, trying to stave off his loneliness. "I was wondering where you were disappearing to – I mean, I used to see you all the time in the halls, but now, it's like your a ghost."

"It's not worth being anything else," Harry said.

He hadn't meant for the words to be so bitter, but he could taste it on the words as soon as they left his mouth. In front of him, the girl's green eyes became sad, through there was a warmth in them Harry never would have associated with a Slytherin. Or a pureblood, for that matter. Of all the pureblood girls he had seen – Slytherin, Ravenclaw, Gryffindor – they all had a frigid, controlled coldness to their eyes. He found it profoundly unsettling.

"I'm sorry to hear that." She said, and she actually sounded like she meant it. Not like Hermione these days, who's sympathy had some contempt dripping off it. The girl looked around the pile of books. "Do you mind if I stay here for a little? I thought you might be getting lonely."

Now Harry was really taken aback; no one had asked about his wellbeing or his feelings ever since he was picked as the 'Fourth Contender'. No one had worried about how he might have been suffering. And he didn't even know this girl.

"Uh..." What a question. Harry was momentarily confused, he had gotten used to being alone and he wasn't sure if this was some sort of deception. But he couldn't deny that his isolation was wearing on him quite hard. After a second, he made up his mind. "Thank you."

The girl smiled and delicately picked her way through the books he had accumulated, careful not to knock anything over, and sat on the floor next to Harry. "Reading up on Potions?" She asked lightly, "I don't blame you. Professor Snape is a slave driver; I've never heard of a teacher working us so hard."

"Are you kidding? Your the class he likes," Harry said resentfully. "He's extra hard on us, and Merlin alone knows why he hates me. I'm surprised I've managed to pass his classes at all."

The girl shrugged. "My dad told me a few times that Professor Snape had been bullied really badly by the Gryffindors when he was in school here, because he always seemed so battered and messy."

Harry's eyebrows shot up. He'd never heard of Gryffindor bullies; whenever something went wrong at school here the Slytherins were always the ones who 'started' it. The Gryffindors were always the noble gryffins getting retribution on 'dark' wizards. Now he wondered if the gryffs were being allowed off the hook on a few things that the other houses wouldn't have been allowed to get away with.

"Who are you?" He asked her eventually, realizing he still didn't know who he was talking to.

"Astoria Greengrass," The girl responded, smiling at him. "Hello, Harry."

"Greengrass." Harry muttered, placing the name. He stood up abruptly. "Is that why you're talking to me?"

"Huh?" Astoria asked, looking baffled.

Harry scowled at her. "Your sister Daphne is always in with Pansy Parkinson when she's bullying people, and Pansy's hated me since first year."

Astoria's eyes widened in understanding, "No, no Harry, it's not what you think. I promise, I'm just here by myself. You can preform a supersensory charm if you don't believe me."

"Supersensory?" Harry repeated, temporarily derailed.

"You don't know it? I was taught it during summer after first year. It allows you to hear everything around you even if you can't see it. Aurors often use it to root out criminals."

"I-I never learned it." Harry said, baffled. This only served to confirm his suspicions – pure blood children got training that others didn't. And once again, the stacked nature of the society he was in reared its head.

Astoria stood up at this point, "I can show you." She offered. "It's easy."

Harry slowly raised his wand hand. This conversation wasn't going the way he had expected it too; he would have expected Pansy to have tried to hex him at this point. But Astoria seemed to genuinely be alone, and she was offering to prove it. Astoria told him the incantation, and he got it on his first try. Supersensory felt different; his hearing felt so sharp he could hear a bird flapping its wings out in the yard. But no sign of Pansy or her groupies.

Harry cancelled the charm. "Wow," He murmured.

Astoria smiled. "See?"

Harry looked back at the blonde girl. "Look, I'm sorry-"

Astoria shook her head. "It's okay. I know my big sister's been hanging around with Pansy. Dad is always telling us to network with other children of our class, to build important ties to the future pure-bloods."

Harry sat down again. He let out a frustrated growl. "High standing this, purity that! God, do they really think that's all the world has to offer?"

"But it's my family's tradition. The tradition of the country." Astoria said in confusion.

Harry scowled up at her. "Haven't you wondered if there's more to the world then a wannabe dark lord and a prejudiced, backwards society?"

He hadn't meant to shout it, but his words rang through the hallway with the force of a gong. Astoria stared at him. Her eyes seemed glassy for a second – like an inner certainty had just come crashing down. Harry took in what he had just said, and groaned.

"I mean..." He muttered, "Is bloody squabbling over whether or not your blood is pure enough to be a 'real' wizard all the magical world has to offer? Is violent powerplays between two equally manipulative old men a world-wide thing? Is being an Auror the only career you can really look forward too? Is a lifetime of avoiding the next dark lord all I have to look forward too...?"

He stared at the wall, almost forgetting Astoria was there, his heart sinking.

Was there anything else out there? To him, there was always only two choices in his life. Dumbledore and Voldemort. Blood purity or being a blood traitor. Being the boy-who-lived. Growing up to be an Auror, just like his dad.

Did he have any plans that weren't based in Britain's past? He'd come to Hogwarts because it was the school his parents had grown up in...but what did he actually know about his parents? What ties did he have to the world they had lived in? Why did he have to live his father's life out? Everyone kept telling him about how he was just like his father...

Was there any Harry inside him? Or was he just the boy who lived and the son of James Potter?

What about his mother? Did he know anything about her? All he knew – all he truly knew was that she had died for him. Why, exactly, did he have to stay where she had gone to school?

All Harry really wanted were friends and a loving place to call home. It was all he ever wanted when he finally had an escape from the Dursleys. This place wasn't loving.

So why was he staying.

There was a soft rustle as Astoria sat down next to him.

"You know?" She murmured. "That's a good question."

Harry glanced at her. "What do you mean?"

Astoria sighed. "My big sister...my big sister is like a glass doll. Sit here, sit there, find yourself a good match, anyone as long as his blood is pure. Go to dances where people will yammer on about mother's new mansion and father's new position, and come home to an empty house full of gold and jewels colder then ice.

She wrapped her arms around her legs. "Daphne wasn't always like that. She wasn't always like Pansy. But she's growing colder like she's turning into glass. She doesn't smile as much anymore."

"You mean..." Harry hesitated. He couldn't remember Daphne as ever having a smile on her face. Had she not always been like that? And if so, why would she change? "Women are like trophies in pureblood society?"

"We're instruments to the family's legacy, as Pansy's dad says." Astoria sounded like she had recited the phrase many times. "It's our honour and our duty." She sighed and leaned back against the bookshelf. "I keep telling myself that I won't be like the other girls. I'll get a career and find something I love doing. Go out and see places. My mum was like that too; she was a lot of fun. But dad's starting to put pressure on me. Find someone, anyone upstanding. Like he's thinking something bad is going to happen."

"Something bad did happen at the Quidditch World Cup," Harry said darkly. "Voldemort-" Astoria flinched when she heard the name "-'s followers attacked, they came out in the open. They wouldn't have that kind of confidence unless they thought they could get away with it." He scowled. "And I bet a lot of those purebloods he wants you to 'network' with are in his pocket."

Astoria lowered her head, staring at her knees. "My dad didn't support him," She muttered. "There aren't many options left."

"Of course you have options!" Harry exclaimed.

"I think-" Astoria raised her head slightly to look around, as though she feared what she was about to say. "-I mean, I've been hearing...that pureblood society is getting smaller. I haven't met very many families as pure as mine. There are more balls, and some older girls hardly leave their houses anymore because they're afraid of miscarrying."

"Then leave," Harry said. "Get close to a half-blood if marrying a muggleborn is such a horrifying thought."

Astoria giggled. "I think Pansy would have a stroke if you suggested that." She said. "She only has eyes for Draco. She can have him, frankly. My dad seems to think that Draco would be a safe bet for my future."

She made a face when she said this. Harry gave her an exaggerated expression of horror, though it wasn't entirely comical. He tried to imagine being married to Draco Malfoy and winced. "The horror! You poor, poor girl."

Astoria started laughing again, and for some reason her laugh made Harry's insides tingle. "I said something similar to that when he first suggested it. Daphne looked at me like I'd gone mad. She said, 'who's your other choice? A Weasley?'"

"She makes it sound like that's a bad thing," Harry said dryly. "Though if she was referring to Ron, I can see where she's coming from..." There was a pause and then they laughed again.

Astoria looked wistfully at Harry. "It's funny, I guess." She said. "There really isn't much there for the purebloods, despite how much they talk up their lives. The rooms in our mansion just feel empty."

Harry looked out the window. "I wonder if other places do it differently." He said. "I mean, other countries."

Astoria paused for a second. Then her eyes lit up. "That's it! We can run off together!"

Harry was so startled by this declaration that he simply stared at Astoria for a moment. "W-what?"

"Really, Harry!" Astoria rolled onto her knees and put a hand on his. "You don't want to compete in this tournament. I want to see the world. Neither of us want to put up with these selfish jerks talking trash about you. We can run off and go to other countries and see how the rest of the world works!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Harry protested. "We only know each other through an hour long conversation! This is crazy!"

"I know!" Astoria said brightly. "That's why it feels so right! And no one will see it coming. There's got to be some way we can pull this off. We should access your vault!"

"Wait!" Harry exclaimed. Astoria looked like she was going to run off any second, and the sheer enormity of what she was suggesting was enough to send his mind spinning. "Won't people be watching my vault at Gringotts? I mean, it can be traced, right? And I'm still a minor."

"Oh," Astoria seemed to deflate for a second, and then suddenly she was energized again. "How about your mother?"

"What?"

"I might be remembering wrong, but I think Lily Evans didn't feel comfortable leaving her only vault in Gringotts for some reason. So she set up her personal account with the Gnomes."

"Gnomes?" Harry echoed blankly.

"Yes! They operate out of...Switzerland, if I'm remembering correctly. It'll be yours now because your her only child." Astoria said, the gears in her brain clearly turning.

"How would you know about that?" Harry asked, blinking and wondering why he hadn't heard about this account before.

"She's not the only muggleborn who felt that way; I heard about it from others." Astoria explained, her eyes were shining now.

"B-But what will your father think? You, running off with me to Merlin knows where for a long period of time?" Harry protested, trying to find some way of addressing the insanity of her plan.

"Me and Daphne are his only children. And he said he would never remarry. He'll be mad for a little, but he'll take me back." Astoria sounded confident when she said this, but her eyes twitched slightly. "I want to do something before I have to be a glass doll for the rest of my life."

Harry thought about that. Those words stuck a chord in him. He had never really lived his life – life with the Durlseys really didn't count as life. And here...here he was always dodging resentful looks, bullying and attempted murder.

Why shouldn't he run off with some girl he barely knew? Sure, it might seen certifiably insane, but really, compared to other things he had done it wasn't the worse. After all, it wasn't any more insane then helping a wanted criminal escape from dementors – it was probably a little safer, actually.

Could it really be as bad as everything he's had to put up with in his life?

It would get him away from here – away from the pain of the betrayal of his friends, away from the anger and away from the near deadly tasks. He could leave it all behind and see the sights with a pretty wild girl.

Harry stood up and asked Astoria, "Where do you want to go?"

Astoria's eyes lit up. "Australia! I want to see the beaches! And the attractions!"

Harry gestured vaguely with his hands, still not quite believing he was actually agreeing to this, and said, "Alright. How exactly do I contact these gnomes?"

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Harry turned over a travel pamphlet for Australia. There were magical railroads that crossed the countryside, leading to a ferry that would take them there. He and Astoria had bought their seats together – first class.

He traced the path with his finger. Seemed simple enough; they weren't likely to get lost. The problem was getting far enough outside the Hogwarts ward lines that they could use the portkey he had bought.

Getting in contact with the Gnomes was a bit of a hassle, including confirming his identity, but he'd reached them eventually. They'd connected him to Lily Evans and he'd been able to make a withdrawal. His mother had done quite well for herself, apparently, but that was likely because some of James's money had been moved there as well. There was plenty for an around the world journey.

Harry had decided they would travel by pseudonyms. The Gnomes had them listed on all travels as Harry Evans and Astoria Dursley, cousins. If he could just hide that scar, no one would be wiser. He sat up in the middle of the night, his stomach alive with nerves, as he memorized the glamour spell on the page in front of him. Then he grabbed his trunk.

It was hard, keeping the invisibility cloak over him and his trunk as he headed for the entrance. The trunk's wheels seemed much louder then usual.

Eventually he got to the front gate. For a second he thought Astoria wasn't coming, but then she scurried down the hall, trunk skidding silently behind her.

"Sorry," She whispered. "Nearly got caught by that wretched cat." She smiled at him. Her hair was out of those tight braids, falling around her face like a messy halo. Harry's heart skipped a beat.

"Shall we go?" Astoria whispered.

"Yes." He said, pushing the door open. "Let's."

**End Chapter**

**What do you think? If Astoria's decision to take off with Harry seems very sudden, good - that's part of her character. She's a wild thing, willing to make sudden decisions with long-lasting ripples. She wants to get away from her future and go somewhere with Harry - someone different, someone interesting, someone her father wouldn't approve of. Harry decides to go along with it because a) he's tired of the way he's being treated and b) he feels drawn to Astoria's spur of the moment decisions.**

**Next chapter deals with the characters reacting to Harry's disappearance. They'll be getting their dues in good time.**

**Read and Review please!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Finding a Place to Call Home**

**Moon: And I'm back real fast with the second chapter! Thank you to everyone who commented, and if I may politely ask - more please! I crave your commentary! Try to make it lengthy, so I know what's working and what isn't! I promise, longer chapters as they actually get into the different wizarding countries, and I promise on a variety of differences! I do not own Harry Potter...and enjoy!**

**Chapter 2: Realizations**

Professor McGonagall was the first person to realize that Harry was missing. And it took her almost an entire day.

In retrospect, it was a clear sign of just how badly they had failed the boy, but noticing that would have been beyond almost everyone inside the school at that point. There was a saying that kids could be cruel and nowhere was that currently truer then a good portion of the students in Harry's fourth year. If muggle parents had been looking in on the situation, they would have assumed Harry's situation had to be exaggerated – this level of bullying was something usually only seen in movies. But a single look from the boy would have confirmed it. Most parents would have clamoured for the staff to do something about it. It would be considered appalling. But Britain had become rather lax in those areas, and Dumbledore figured that it would be a good way to toughen Harry up for his inevitable battle with the Dark Lord. He figured the other students would come around in time, and that it was just schoolyard arguing.

It was a pity Wizarding Britain didn't have child psychologists. They would have had a word for Harry's treatment – bullying.

Ron had basically become a de facto leader of the fourth year Gryffindor boys after Harry's name came out, but many of them quickly became frustrated with him. He had a loud voice and louder opinions, and got into fights easily. He started serving more and more detentions. Hermione was still putting her hand up in all the classes, but found that fewer people were prepared to tolerate her domineering and perfectionist attitude for very long.

Some of the other Gryffindors began throwing them resentful looks, looks they would have held back if Harry was still part of the house. The Slytherins never failed to throw snide remarks at the two of them and fewer people payed attention to them. Ron and Hermione started to realize that without Harry they were a trio adrift, and they didn't have the same weight that they did before they had turned on him. Hermione was mostly wondering why Harry would cheat; she had thought that she was a good influence on him. Ron was still burning over the fact that Harry couldn't be bothered to tell his 'best mate' how he managed to enter himself in the tournament.

Neville Longbottom was in a quandry. He was a timid boy and too afraid to stand up to anyone in Harry's defence. He just hoped his grandmother wouldn't find out that he'd failed to uphold his sworn duty as she'd taught him from birth – to be at Harry's side in all things. The Potters and the Longbottoms had a longstanding alliance that was birthed from this. With any luck, he thought, this entire mess would blow over and be forgotten about.

The Hufflepuffs were pleased that Harry was isolating himself and avoiding everyone. They figured this was the best way for their champion to get back the attention he would have received sooner had Harry not been chosen. They had been remarkably vindictive towards him considering that their house trait was loyalty, something that you'd think they'd show another member of their school. Ravenclaw either sat on the sidelines or joined in while Slytherin watched in silence.

It would be good for them, if Gryffindor was taken down a peg by their treatment of their star seeker and the boy who lived. Then the school might stop seeing them as social pariahs and they would be able to return to their roots as an intelligent, cunning group instead of a bunch of loudmouthed Voldemort supporters.

Dumbledore was a bit disconcerted by the sheer fury of the student response. He had been certain that this was the best way to go – to keep Harry isolated, to keep him focused on his goal instead of becoming placid or big headed. Sure, perhaps some of them were being a bit overzealous, but Harry was a good boy with a lot of love in his heart. It would all blow over likely before Christmas and he will have learned to rely on his friends, and that he couldn't expect to stand on his own.

He'd avoided his friend's first attempt at apologizing, sure, and he'd done better at his fight against the dragon then he should have, but that wasn't serious. He'd stop his moping before the ball and ask someone who might become his later romantic mate – either the Granger girl or the youngest Weasley would do nicely in that area, Dumbledore thought. He'd be even more popular with his house then before.

Sirius Black was getting worried. He hadn't heard anything from his godson ever since he had started school, which was unusual. Perhaps he should send him another letter.

McGonagall was the first one to go looking for Harry. She knew the boy had been avoiding everyone , but she had a good idea where to look and he needed to know something.

But then she checked the kitchen, the library, the Quidditch pitch and the common room, and she still couldn't find him. She went looking for Hermione and Ron, figuring they would know where he was.

"Ms Granger, may I have a moment of your time?" She asked, catching the young girl arguing with Ron in the hallway.

"Yes Professor?" Hermione said, a little irritated that she'd been interupted from another attempt at convincing Ron of the importance of SPEW.

"Have either of you seen Harry? I've looked all over the school to tell him that he would be in need of a date to the Yule Ball, and I can't seem to find him."

Ron scowled. "He's probably hiding somewhere, making a martyr out of himself. Oh look at me, I'm Harry Potter and I suffer so much! Pity me and give me all your attention!"

McGonagall fixed Ron with a withering look. "Now now Master Weasley, is that any way we talk about our friends?"

"I tried to apologize to him, and he's making a great big deal out of it," Ron continued to mutter, ignoring the transfiguration professor. "Doesn't even talk to the Quidditch team anymore. What more does he want?"

Hermione decided to interviene at this point. "We haven't seen him, Professor." When she said this, she realized that she hadn't seen very much of Harry at all over the past few days. "In fact I'm not exactly sure of where to look for him."

"Why's that? I thought the three of you were inseparable," McGonagall said in surprise. She new intellectually that Harry had been facing some unpleasantness from the other students over his unorthodox picking as the fourth member of the Tournament, but surely it couldn't be that serious. After all, she'd gone to Dumbledore about it and asked what she should do about it when she saw those unfriendly buttons going around, but he'd said it was just a typical schoolyard argument and nothing serious.

"Usually," Ron said sulkily, "It's great having him around, with all the attention and the Quidditch victories he racks up, but now he's probably sulking somewhere. He's been doing it for weeks. He's in the Tri-Wizard Tournament? What's he playing at?"

"I think," McGonagall said sternly, "That he's having a bit of trouble dealing with those Buttons I've seen students wearing. Is that really how you're going to treat a fellow student?"

"I didn't make them," Ron said like a child being reprimanded. "Probably some Hufflepuff throwing a tantrum because their champion should be representing Hogwarts. They should be used to being overshadowed by now."

"For goodness sakes Mr. Weasley! This is a school, and it's unbecoming of a Gryffindor to speak such low opinions of your fellow students!" McGonagall exclaimed. She never would have expected this sort of behaviour out of the boy in front of her. She'd known many Weasleys and they were usually quite decent people.

Neither Hermione nor Ron had anything to say to that. "Now, where do you think I should look for him?"

Ron shrugged. "Try his dorm, I suppose. He's been crying up there a few times, like he's six years old or something. It's embarrassing."

McGonagall didn't like Weasley's tone, but she was more concerned over this allegation that Harry had been crying a few times. Why would he do that? She had never seen Harry cry, even in the many times he'd been sent to the hospital wing for the injuries he tended to attract. She pursed her lips. Was he taking the existance of these buttons harder then Dumbledore had believed? Perhaps she should have a talk with Professor Sprout later about controlling her house. With that thought, she made her way to the Gryffindor tower.

McGonagall made her way inside and up to the boy's dorm. Neville and Dean where in the common room, but there was no sign of Harry. She walked over to his bed and stopped.

The boy's trunk was gone, the bed made and the curtains pulled. It looked as though no one had ever slept in it. Concerned, McGonagall walked around it. Had someone taken his trunk?

She pulled the curtain open. No Harry. Now McGonagall was truly stumped. Where on earth was the boy? She had looked absolutely...everywhere...

Could it be? No. Harry had never left the castle before unless it was an absolute emergancy, or one of his mad adventures. He wouldn't simply abandon Hogwarts, that just wasn't like him.

Finally, McGonagall noticed that there was something sitting against the pillow of the neatly made bed.

There was a small note with no address and a small signature, written in Harry's handwriting. It looked rushed, as though he'd printed it at the last second before rushing off somewhere. She picked it up and read it quickly.

_I've tried all I can imagine_

_I've begged and pleaded in true lover's fashion_

_I've got pride. I'm taking it for a ride._

_Don't look for me._

_-Harry Potter_

McGonagall's eyes widened, she stared at the contents of the paper for several long seconds before their meaning registered. Strangely enough, the first thing she realized was that it sounded rather like a muggle song she'd heard somewhere before understanding that it meant Harry was gone.

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Dumbledore was sitting in his office, turning the Elder Wand over in his hand and deep in thought. It had been hard for him to get his hands on this, as well as locating the other two Hallows. To think that after all these years, Death's gifts had finally reappeared. It was good that he, one of the most beloved light wizards ever, had found out about them, rather then some other, more unscrupolus individual.

Dumbledore figured that once Tom identified his wand as the Elder Wand, he would start searching for the stone and the cloak as well. The cloak was with Harry, who was Dumbledore's protoge and therefore in good hands, while the stone he had sealed inside the boy's first snitch. It was all perfect, and part of his ever expanding plan.

There was a brisk knock on the door. Dumbledore glanced at Fawkes, he hadn't been expecting any visitors tonight. Perhaps it was another student here to complain about Harry's placement in the tournament. He was growing tired of dealing with them.

As it turned out, it wasn't a student, it was Minvera McGonagall, looking pale and worried. "Ah, McGonagall. Have you found young Harry? It would be rather embarrassing for Hogwarts if he were to appear at the Yule Ball without a date. Perhaps you could suggest Ms Granger or-?"

"He's gone." McGonagall gasped out, glaring at Dumbledore.

Dumbledore wasn't sure if he had heard that right, "I beg your pardon?"

"I mean he's gone. Disappeared. Vanished. No where in the castle that I have seen! His bed is made, his trunk is gone, and no one, not even his friends know where he is." McGonagall snapped, her glare intensifying.

Disappeared. Gone. Those words echoed in Dumbledore's head. He stood up immediately. Had the boy gone to Gringotts? Had he discovered something, and kept silent with the knowledge? "Where did you last see him?"

"In class, yesterday." McGonagall retorted. "I'm beginning to think that the students treatment of him was more serious then you were saying! The things Ronald Weasley said to me-"

"He must just be upset, Minerva, it will blow over," Dumbledore said the false reassurance with little enthusiasm, he was more concerned about where his most valuable student was. "Summon the ghosts and the other teachers. Have them search everywhere. He's a student, he couldn't have gotten far.

**Wizard Express to Magical Paris, France**

Harry examined the map in front of him – or at least, pretended to. He was mostly trying not to look at Astoria, because he was pretty sure he'd start blushing if he did.

His main concern once they'd hit the streets of London was that a pair of oddly dressed, unrelated children wandering around after dark would catch them attention they couldn't afford. Luckily, he'd been able to find a clothes store quickly enough.

Astoria had been absolutely fascinated with everything inside the shop, and had taken almost two hours to pick two outfits out and only left reluctantly at the promise that they would shop more after they got out of London. Harry wasn't sure how long it would be until the staff realized they were missing and had Aurors out searching London for them. She'd asked him almost endless questions about every muggle thing she saw, from light fixtures to the cash register. She stared at passing muggles as if they were something she'd never seen before, and she'd accidentally set off an alarm when leaving one shop. She asked him what kind of creature could possibly cause the screeching of the alarms.

Astoria had stepped out of the change room, dressed in a black t-shirt with a Mockingjay on it, jeans and black shoes. Seeing her in the Hogwarts uniform had been one thing, but muggle clothes were much less concealing. Her happiness made her seem to radiate, almost, and Harry had barely been able to look straight at her without feeling his face burning. As an emotionally repressed child, he hadn't really understood girls before, even when Hermione entered his life.

Astoria seemed to be inducing new feelings in him – just like she'd given him the nerve to run away.

Then there was his scar. Astoria had offered to cast a glamour, but Harry found that muggle make up concealed the scar with less strain on the pair of them. He was tempted to dye his black hair as well; but the train they wanted to catch left in a quickly approaching deadline and he decided to do so later.

The Wizard Express was almost like the train to Hogwarts, in that it was concealed within a real muggle subway system. They'd stumbled around London for a while before Harry realized he was holding the map upside down. Nerves could do that to you. Harry had never truly run away before, except last year, and his stomach was a knot of anticipation.

They had followed the crowd downstairs, dragging their trunks along and vanishing seamlessly into the crowd. Hedwig had squeaked in distress as they went underground; Harry silently promised her that he'd let her out at the first opportunity.

"Well, it says here, Wizard Express, train to Paris. In between North and South," Astoria read aloud as they stepped downstairs. A nearby muggle looked strangely at her but said nothing.

Harry had nearly jumped out of his skin when a doorway opened up through the floor between the north and southbound train platforms, something that made Astoria giggle. It was a short stairway leading down onto another floor, and when Harry looked around none of the other muggles paid them mind.

"That's incredible!" He said, surprised. Astoria giggled.

"This train station's probably older then the muggle one," She said, "Built by the Internation Confederation of Wizards when the muggles first invented them. It's a mostly underground one, see. The muggles ended up building on top of it."

"I didn't realize there was an international train line," Harry said in amazement. "Where else does it go?"

"I'm pretty sure it goes to all the countries that are part of the ICW, at least all the ones connected by land. Then you take a muggle ferry or an oversea portkey." Astoria said. She looked oddly at Harry. "You really don't know any of this, do you?"

Harry shook his head. "No. Tell me more, please?" He asked pleadingly.

Astoria giggled and nodded, her blonde hair falling over her shoulders as she did so. "Sure, Harry."

"Excuse me," They looked down to the steps. There had been a man waiting for them to take their tickets, too. "Are you coming or not?"

Harry and Astoria blushed. "Sorry, got a bit caught up in it all." Harry said apologetically.

The man chuckled. "Ah, muggleborn, eh? They're always a bit starry-eyed before they get used to it. Charming, really."

The two former Hogwarts students entered the Wizard Express, the door closing behind them. Astoria gave their tickets to the man, who paused and looked critically at them. "Off to Paris, both of you?" He said. "A bit late for a train for ones your age, huh?"

"Early, actually." Astoria had said, a beaming smile on her face. "We're going to my family reunion, and I just couldn't sleep tonight with excitement! Mum got us the earliest train possible; she'll be coming along later with Grandmother, I imagine."

Harry wondered if all Slytherins could lie that easily. The ticket man smiled at Astoria, "Harry Evans aaaaand Astoria Dusley. Right, these are your seats, breakfast will be served in a few hours." He pointed in the direction of their train.

It was further down a bustling platform, a long, sleek silver snake twice as long as the Hogwarts Express. There were many doors, and if Harry looked inside he could see tables and chairs almost like a restaurant on the inside. There were large windows and it had an expensive and expressive flare to its appearance. Wizards and witches were already boarding it, looking tired, eager or determined.

Harry and Astoria smiled at each other and rushed off to the doorway. They handed their tickets to the boarding manager. "Would you like those taken to the cargo hold?" He asked, indicating their trunks."

"That would be nice," Harry said, lifting Hedwig's cage and a smaller bag containing his maps and the memo pad he'd be using to keep track of their plans off the trunk. The man yelled at another, and the trunks were magically lifted up and moved further down the train.

"They'll fly back to you as soon as your off the train." The doorman said cheerfully.

"Thank you!" Astoria said happily, and the two of them stepped on. Harry was impressed, once again, as he took in the inside of the train.

It seemed bigger on the inside, with many, many personal compartments going down on either side of the red-carpeted hallway. People walked in and out, talking to waiters and people in the bunkers across from them. Harry glanced inside the nearest one and saw the table turn into a comfortable-looking bed.

"I love magic," He said wonderingly.

Astoria gently tugged at his wrist and lead him down the hallway, muttering "Bunker number eighty-eight, it says..." she murmured. "Further down the hall." Hedwig chirped, her cage swaying slightly as Harry made his way down the hall until they finally found their seats.

Astoria pulled the door open, and Harry looked in and smiled.

There was a table and two long chairs, it could seat eight at full capacity but it would be just them. Four warm lights lit up the room from the ceiling chandelier. There was a rug and a window with a nice view of the station.

Astoria looked speculatively at the table. "I wonder..." She glanced down at her pamphlet and then at the table. "Bed, please!" She said.

There was a flash, and Harry couldn't help but laugh in amazement as the table and chairs turned into a large, fluffy bed with a nightstand. Curtains fell across the window, blocking out outside view. The lights dimmed and the door locked. All automatically and in less then a minute.

"I could get used to this," He said admiringly.

Astoria looked critically at the bed. "Is it big enough for both of us?" She asked.

Harry blinked, and then blushed bright red. Sleeping arrangements hadn't occurred to him, and now he wanted to melt into the rug. Astoria looked equally embarrassed. For a second, they both just stood there, staring at the floor as they considered their options.

"..."

Harry scraped together all his Gryffindor courage and turned to Astoria. "Do you want the right?" He managed, nearly choking on the words.

Astoria looked relieved. "Uh, sure!"

**Back at Hogwarts**

Dumbledore was furious and frantic. He had all the teachers and all the ghosts going around the clock looking for Harry, and they hadn't turned up a single thing.

How had the boy left? Why had he left? Surely he knew about the Tournament and how important it was! The Yule Ball was tomorrow! Hogwarts would be extremely embarrassed if one of their champions didn't turn up to the event. His credence as a Headmaster would go under questioning if it was suggested that he couldn't keep track of one of his most important students. It was Harry Potter, after all, the one student he had put so much effort into keeping track of.

An entire day of fruitless searching – where many students of all houses were interrogated ruthlessly – Harry still hadn't been found. Malfoy was still looking rather windblown after Minerva's interrogation. Everyone seemed as confused as he felt.

Dumbledore hated being confused or lost. The first war had taught him that every little bit of control mattered, no matter who or what it was. Especially if it was one of your most important assets.

Now why would Harry run away from the school? He'd taken his trunk and his owl with him, and left no indication in his letter of where he was going or why, at least nothing concrete. _I've tried all I can imagine –_ clearly Harry had taken his schoolmate's reactions much harder then he should have.

He would have thought the boy would have developed thicker skin by this point.

Where could he have gone? Not to Little Whining; Dumbledore couldn't imagine the boy running away from the school that was his new home, back to a place where the muggles mistreated him and belittled him, and were probably in worse temper then usual after Arthur's unorthodox visit to their house.

"Must you keep me here, Dumbledore?" Snape said, sounding frustrated. "I have business to attend to. Obviously the Potter brat has gone off somewhere. Let Minvera deal with it, he's in her house."

"Now now, Severus, a student is missing. We must keep looking until we find him," Dumbledore said in the usual kind grandfatherly voice he had used for years. His frustration didn't show, which was impressive even considering his years.

Flitwick and McGonagall returned to his office, looking worn. "Any news?" Dumbledore asked them as gently as he could, trying not to let his impatience or panic show.

"The Fat Lady says she let Harry leave the Gryffindor Common Room with his trunk last night." McGonagall reported, looking worn and worried. "But he didn't tell her what he was doing or where he was going. He just said that he had to meet someone, and walked off."

"The other ghosts say that they never saw him in the hallways, either," Flitwick added. "None of the other students seemed to understand what happened either. It's as if he has disappeared into thin air. I don't quite understand it myself."

Disappeared into thin air...of course. The boy must have left the castle with the help of his invisibility cloak. Dumbledore hadn't thought much of it when he had returned the cloak to Harry, now he was beginning to regret it. No wonder no one had seen him.

"Did Harry seem...disquiet in any of your classes?" Dumbledore asked.

Evidently this was a sore spot for McGonagall, because she erupted like a volcano. "Disquiet? I suppose that's the word for a boy who's being lied to and continually abused by just about everyone in this castle! He always seemed so distressed and so unhappy ever since his name came out in that thrice-damned goblet, and you wouldn't even let me stand up for him. He's rarely seen in the halls anymore, and in class he always sits and the back and rarely speaks to anyone!"

"I agree with Minerva," Flitwick said, his voice squeaker then usual. "Harry seemed exhausted, angry and worn down whenever I saw him in class. I called on him a few times but he rarely said more then that. I never see him with Ms Granger and Mr. Weasley any more, and a few times I've seen some of my own students being cruel to him in the hallways. Forgive me, but I'm beginning to question your management of this entire tournament situation."

Dumbledore pinched the bridge of his nose and resisted the urge to groan in annoyance. The tournament was important to the boy's growth as a person, he was certain of it. Harry had more maturing to do before he faced Voldemort and a real-life crash course in battles against incredible odds would be good preparation for that. They wouldn't understand if he told them though. "I'm sure they will get over it."

"They haven't gotten over it, that's the problem!" McGonagall exclaimed. "Even I haven't been helping him, which is a point of shame for me, because you asked me to! I can't imagine what you think having him compete in this tournament will accomplish!"

"I told you before Minerva, my hands are tied in the matter."

"But you heard what Alastar said! Only an extremely powerful wizard could have Confounded the cup into forgetting that only three schools were involved with the tournament! There's only a handful of people who could have done so, how many of them were in that room that night?" McGonagall demanded.

There was a sharp scream from somewhere further down the hall. It was followed by another, and then by a cacophony of screaming and stomping feet all coming from the great hall.

Dumbledore followed a racing McGonagall, Flitwick and Severus into the Great Hall, where most of the students were pressed against the walls staring down at something.

There was a body on the floor dressed in Mad-Eye's coat. A body, however, that didn't resemble the grizzled old auror in the slightest.

Severus stared at the body for a long moment. "Barty Crouch?" He said in disbelief.

**Later**

Dumbledore was glad he had a glass of firewhisky on hand later that night. It was going way past the time he usually got to sleep, and he was no closer to a reprieve then he was when Barty's body was first found in the hall.

The other Headmasters were in the office, Karkeroff looking extremely unnerved and put on the spot. Snape was standing by the doorway, trying not to shoot Dumbledore yet another look that would plainly say 'I told you so'. Minvera was pacing like a caged cat. They were being joined by Amelia Bones and Cornelius Fudge.

"This will make it the third time you've managed to let someone with close ties to He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named into this school," Amelia Bones informed Dumbledore dryly. She had to be informed of everything that had gone on since the start of the tournament, and she wasn't pleased with her niece's behaviour, for starters. The news that Harry was missing and that they had found the man who had put his name in had just made her worse.

"You're sure its him?" Fudge asked for the third time.

Snape let out an impatient snort. "Yes, Minister. The Goblet's reaction was watched by the Hogwarts ghost the Bloody Baron, never mind that the resulting explosion was heard ringing from the walls inside the school. I checked the signature and confirmed. Barty Crouch Jr., was the one who put Harry's name in the goblet. Ergo, he's the one who lost his magic."

"An' this killed 'im?" Maxine asked, her voice heavy with concern. Now that she knew that Harry truly hadn't been entered by his own design, she was looking back badly on the way she and her students had been behaving towards him.

"He seemed rather frail." Fudge said. "But how? How did he get out of Azkaban?"

"Perhaps you should ask that of the senior Crouch," Amelia said tartly. "But I understand that's not the matter of concern right now. Now the student in question – who was entered _illegally_" Dumbledore fought the urge to wince. "-has gone missing?"

"Yes," McGonagall said, hanging her head. After she'd realized that Harry was truly missing, she was starting to feel extremely guilty over the happenings of the past few weeks and that she'd done nothing to prevent it.

"And you have no idea where he might have gone." Amelia added, scorn becoming evident in her voice. "There's no trace of him anywhere."

Dumbledore did wince this time; this was not going to reflect well on him if or when it hit the news. Given what a magnet Harry was, it was only a matter of time before it hit the airwaves if they didn't find him before that.

Dumbledore wondered if the boy was holed up somewhere, burning with resentment, speaking with Rita Skeeter or anyone who would hear him out for a few galleons.

Fudge glanced at Dumbledore. "And why would he leave, exactly?" He said with a searching look. Fudge's opinion of Dumbledore seemed to be dropping lately, as Dumbledore had begun to voice his concerns over Voldemort's potential return and his insistence that Dementors not be used as prison guards.

Maxine and Karkeroff looked at each other and shrugged, though it didn't escape Amelia's notice that the Drumstrang Headmaster looked like he wanted to be just about anywhere else at the moment.

"He competed in one of the tasks, did he not? Why would he suddenly decide to leave after facing off against a dragon?" Fudge pressed.

"I think..." Dumbledore began.

"Many students were less then receptive of Potter's unusual inclusion in the Tournament." Snape cut in, his voice heavy with his usual iciness. "And I'm referring to all the students, though the worst of it came from the Hufflepuff wizards."

"Can you elaborate on that?" There was a note of sarcasm in Amelia's voice; Dumbledore knew she was quite cross with him for not allowing her to investigate some of the questionable goings-on inside Hogwarts and didn't expect to be given information.

There was a look of surprise on her face when Severus actually responded; "There were buttons passed around that would say 'Potter Stinks' on them. He was regularly harassed, ridiculed and occasionally hexed in the hallways. His food was often stolen or overturned when he tried to eat at the table, and no one would sit near him, even those who had been his friends before this. People seemed to believe anything said about him – as long as it was negative."

"My boy, surely you exaggerate the situation slightly-" Dumbledore tried again, but Snape shook his head, his trademark sneer in place.

"I hardly exaggerate, Headmaster, you can ask Ronald Weasley or Hannah Abbot if you don't believe me. I was in the hallway when Ronald told Potter he wasn't welcome in the Gryffindor Common Room. And I saw Abbot send a curse at his back when he crossed the hallway once."

"And you didn't step in?" Amelia asked, her tone flinty.

"I released him from the curse, if that's what your asking," Snape responded. "And I took the information about the attack and what Weasley had said up to Dumbledore and McGongall, who said they'd handle it. I heard nothing more of it, though Weasley's attitude in my class continued to be poor, while Potter was starting to isolate himself from the rest of the school."

Dumbledore shot a brief glare at Snape. He knew that his spy didn't agree with all his plans, but was that really necessary? He thought he'd made it clear only to tell the Ministry what they needed to know.

"So he was being bullied." Amelia summerized. "Shunned. Told he was unwanted. And he took the hint and left, to who knows where. The only child of two people who sacrificed themselves to protect him and this country from Voldemort."

Her voice had gotten dry as a desert. McGonagall was staring at the floor. Fudge looked vindicated, while the other Headmasters watched the scene grimly.

There was a knock on the door. Dumbledore grabbed at the reprieve gratefully and said, "It might be a student coming with news. Come in!" He called, waving a hand. The door opened.

"Um, excuse me..."

A timid voice sounded from the doorway. The adults turned around to see a frazzled looking Daphne Greengrass standing in the doorway, looking intimidated by the people inside.

"Ah, Miss Greengrass, I believe? We're a bit tied up at the moment, if you don't mind holding onto your questions for a little." Dumbledore said pleasantly.

"I might know what's going on..." Daphne said, shifting from one foot to the other.

"You think?" Amelia echoed. "Do continue. What exactly do you think you know?"

Snape nodded at his student to continue. Daphne swallowed, walked inside and placed a note on Dumbledore's desk. "My sister – Astoria – disappeared from school. I've been looking for her, and she's gone. Just yesterday. Around the same time."

There was a pause in the office. Dumbledore's mind worked furiously. Astoria Greengrass...her father was Lord Daniel Greengrass...he'd been neutral in the last war. Was this an abduction? Had he changed his loyalties and wanted to prove it? He took another pull of firewhisky as he considered the possibilities, none of them good.

Daphne gulped again, and murmured, "I think..."

"They eloped?" McGonagall said incredulously. Daphne nodded uneasily.

Dumbledore nearly choked on his mouthful. McGonagall continued. "Astoria, right? Astoria Greengrass? But – but they've hardly ever exchanged a conversation! I declare, I don't think I ever saw them talk in class! I don't know if they even share classes!"

"Has your sister spoken of him?" Dumbledore asked Daphne, leaning over in his chair, looming over her like a judge.

Daphne shifted, her fingers clasping and unclasping. "My sister...she's different from other girls. She's different..." She paused. "She doesn't want to settle down. I keep telling her to network, to prepare for her role as Lady Greengrass, but she keeps telling me that she wants to get a job, to see the world. She's always so _wild_. Father's been searching for ways to get her to settle down, but nothing seems to work. But...but I didn't think she'd run off. Oh, I hope father won't be too angry..." She swallowed again, clearly worrying over the rammifications of her sister's decision.

Dumbledore knew that if her father was a staunch pureblood, and he'd thought Astoria had eloped with a halfblood, he wouldn't be able to banish her from the family fast enough. However, Daniel was a quiet man after he lost his wife Angela, and swore he'd never remarry. It seemed unlikely that he'd want to leave himself with only one Heir.

But was that what this was? Elopement? He'd been so sure that he was controlling Harry's ability to form romantic attachments – or even think about such things – had he missed something while Harry was isloating himself?

"If they left at the same time, it stands likely that they left together." Amelia mused, clearly thinking the whole situation over. "It's only been a day, and they're still minors. I suggest we go to Gringotts; I doubt they've gotten far."

**In the Common Rooms**

"So, Harry's eloped with Astoria, huh?" Tracy Davis asked Su Li.

"That's what I heard!" The Ravenclaw told the other girl enthusiastically. "Astoria was such a wild girl she didn't want to live in a pureblood world, and when she saw how everyone's been treating him she offered to run away with him! Isn't that romantic?"

The two girls giggled over this as Hermione walked past, her fingers digging into the cover of her book. She glanced in the direction of Daphne Greengrass and her grip on her book grew tighter still, determined not to cry or get angry.

She had thought, when Harry started distancing himself from her, that she might have made a mistake by letting Ron influence her opinion of him after he was chosen for the Tournament. She'd fooled herself into thinking that what she was doing wasn't serious, and they'd be back hanging around together once the boy's initial tempers had run their course.

Then Harry had avoided her after the first task, when she would have tried to apologize to him. She was seeing how foolish she had been – clearly he wouldn't want to fight a monster like that by choice, and the cold shoulder the other students had been giving her was another indication that she might be doing things wrong.

And now Harry was gone and reality hit her in the face with the finesse of a dead fish. She'd abandoned him. Her first real friend, who she thought she might have been developing feelings for, and she had abandoned him.

And now – now he was running away with a girl? With a Slytherin girl? Hermione's stomach burned. Had he been seeing this girl while he was isolated from Hermione? When she hadn't been looking, he'd been talking to this other girl...

Astoria – Hermione had a vague recollection of that girl, she was in Ginny's year and her sister Daphne was known as the Ice Queen of Slytherin.

Hermione glanced at Daphne. She was beautiful, more beautiful then the plain bookworm who talked to much in class. Her sister probably looked a lot like her. Suddenly, Hermione's brain was filled with images of Harry talking and laughing on a playground somewhere with a pretty blonde girl, and her eyes began to burn.

Ron watched as Hermione darted into her dorm, angry and bewildered. Harry was gone? Ran off? Just like that? Why would he do that? He was part of the tournament. He had all the girls. All the attention. Was that just not enough for him? He had to get more attention by running away, playing the wounded fragile orphan. And Hermione was more worried about him then she wanted to have conversations with Ron. It was an annoying state of affairs.

Susan knew she was in trouble when her auntie fixed her with a glare before going towards Dumbledore's office. Auntie Amelia rarely glared at her. Was she on Harry's side to? Harry...Harry had run away from school. Maybe she'd gone too far? She hadn't imagined him running away. It was just school stuff. Would he take it that personally?

Well, her aunt would find him, right? He couldn't be that far.

**With Harry, most of the way to Magical Paris**

Warm golden rose light streamed past the curtains, drawing intricate designs on the walls and ceilings as Harry opened his eyes. There was light rumbling of the wheels whistling over the tracks. Blinking rapidly, he tried to focus, finding his mind a little sluggish. The bed was wonderful, he thought distantly. Considering how little sleep he'd gotten since the night he and Astoria had left Hogwarts, it was more then welcome.

At that thought, Harry looked down at the bed next to him. Astoria was still asleep, her hair splayed out over the pillows and sheets and gleaming in the dying sunlight. Harry felt his heart thumping in his ribcage; it hadn't been that hard to fall asleep next to her, to his surprise. The soft rhythm of her breathing had actually helped him get to sleep.

Hedwig was chirping eagerly and batting at the sides of her cage. We must be close, Harry realized as he put a hand on the cage. Hedwig often got like that when she realized the end of a drive was getting closer; she didn't have a great fondness for Vernon's car.

He glanced out the window and had his breath taken away.

Gently, he reached down and touched his companion's shoulder. "Astoria, wake up. You've got to see this."

Astoria sighed and sleepily opened her green eyes. "What..." She pushed herself into a sitting position and saw Harry kneeling at the window. "Are we there yet?"

"Not quite. But look at this."

Astoria blinked and then followed Harry's finger. Her eyes widened. "Oh Merlin."

The dazzling City of Lights lay out on the ground below them, glowing like crystal. The train was zipping along a highly elevated track, one that lead into...

Harry had to blink a few times before he saw it, and when he did he laughed and laughed. "Wow." He said. "I knew the French did things differently, but...wow."

The magical portion of France seemed to exist directly on top of its muggle counterpart, like layers on a cake, or veils between a window and the road outside. Buildings built on top of buildings, platforms stretching across roads. Shops that were muggle at first glance rearranged themselves into wizard stores in the blink of an eye. What looked like cars at first glance were actually giant wolf like creatures with young riders tearing down the road, with muggle police vehicles struggling to keep up. Tall spires appeared from some buildings, clearly observatories of some sort. Streets turned into long green pathways. Some buildings actually seemed to float in the air, above the oblivious muggle's heads.

And it all vanished like ripples in water if Harry wasn't concentrating.

"This was a brilliant idea." Astoria whispered. "If this is Pairs, Australia can wait."

**End Chapter**

**They'll get to Australia eventually, but as you'll see next chapter they decided to stop off in some other places while they're on their way there. Suggestions for possible locations are perfectly welcome! Also - should I keep following what's going on back in Britain, or should I stick solely with Harry and Astoria and have them come back to a radically different Britain?**

**Read and Review please!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Finding a Place to Call Home**

**Moon: Welcome back faithful readers, and thanks to the reviewers! You guys are wonderful. In this chapter, mostly Harry and Astoria with a little bit of Britain at the end. There will be a little more Britain next chapter, but I'm bone tired and couldn't quite fit it into this one. So, here you go...enjoy and tell me what you think! I do not own Harry Potter.**

**Chapter 3: City of Lights and Magic**

"This way, everyone!" A young man with a heavy French Accent called out to the crowd. There was a light chatter as the group of wizards that had taken the International Confederation line to Paris headed in the direction of the exit. Astoria and Harry stood near a family of seven headed to a birthday party, making themselves look innocuous. Harry looked around the train station. Here, the flag he had seen with the Beaubaxon students was hanging from the rafters, and there was a noticeable change in colour to the walls and ceiling. It looked decidedly more festive then the practical, silver British station.

"Look Harry," Astoria whispered. "Fairies!"

Harry followed Astoria's gaze and marvelled. Sure enough, there were sharp bursts of multicolored light as fairies seemed to pop into existence among the roof, and flew down among the travellers to many cries of delight. Soon, the station was filled with fairy dust and laughing wizards. The fairies giggled mischievously as they darted through the crowds, playing lighthearted pranks on wizards who looked overly stuffy. Parents gently told their children to refrain from grabbing at the fragile creatures while a few businessmen protested vainly as their briefcases were covered in fairy dust and began to rise towards the ceiling, quite without their permission.

Astoria laughed as a small, ruby-red fairy appeared in front of her and Harry. It giggled and flitted in front of them. Astoria held out her finger. The fairy grabbed it, put some dust on it and then flew up, around Harry's head and then up to where the other fairies were gathering at the ceiling.

Turning to Harry, Astoria giggled and said, "They're beautiful..."

"Yeah..." Harry agreed, looking up to the ceiling. A window magically opened, and the fairings zipped off, to the disappointment of many young children.

"I see the fairies have welcomed the new arrivals!" The young man from before said cheerfully. He was met with laughter and some applause. "You'll see some more of those little ones around the gardens in Paris, if you know where to look."

In high spirits, the incoming wizards walked up a long staircase that ended in two doorways.

The young man said, "Now, this is the important part. Those of you who are headed into muggle Paris should use the door on the right. Magical Paris is the door on the left. The Shifting Plates will feel a bit uncomfortable as you pass through them, but don't panic if you feel a bit of a squeeze! That's perfectly natural, and I assure you its safe. The Plates are what separates our France from the muggle France, and there are scant few entrances! If you have business in the muggle world first, you'd best take the right door."

The guy took out his wand and waved it twice. The two huge doors swung open. There was a glowing blue veil in between the stairs and the streets. On one side, Harry could see muggle cars and streets. And on the other...it looked like Diagon Alley. Actually, no. Diagon Alley paled in comparison to what he could see from here."

Hedwig made a noise, and Astoria squeezed his hand. "Well?" She murmured, bringing Harry back to the present. "Let's go!"

Harry nodded, and steeling himself for the mentioned pressure and followed the crowd through the blue veil.

There was a feeling of pressure that made Harry's stomach feel greatly unsettled, and he had to squeeze his eyes shut as he stumbled forward on to the pavement. The ground under his feet felt like it was about to be pulled apart, with one of his legs on either side.

As quickly as the feeling came it was gone, and Harry was left blinking in the city of lights. Astoria was standing and looking on in amazement.

Magical Paris seemed to...glow, for lack of a better word. Both torches and streetlamps lined the streets – streets where huge wolf-like creatures bounded along, carrying their masters and their children along with them, the kids often screaming with excitement.

"What _are _those?" Harry asked in amazement. A nearby woman chuckled.

"Never seen a warg before, darling? They look fearsome, but if you raised them domestic they're wonderful to have around." She said. "They've become the primary mode of transportation when their population exploded."

"Wow," Astoria whispered, watching as one of the Wargs. "I heard that someone had bred a new species from werewolves and normal wolves, but I hadn't thought there were so many in one place!" She clutched the handle of her suitcase. "Let's find our hotel Harry, there's so much to see!"

They started walking down the streets. Harry couldn't help but stare at almost everything he came across. There were huge shops containing magically altered muggle equipment, the most amazing of all being the sheer number of muggle electronics that were functioning perfectly well despite being surrounded by wizards! There were Television sets in windows playing parts of the new Transformers show and Star Wars: A New Hope. Harry could see Sony's new game system also for sale in another.

Astoria was thrilled. "What's that?"

"It's a television. How to explain...well, they show you a series of imagines, like a Pensieve."

"What's that?"

"That's a computer. It's kind of like a TV combined with a writing quill of sorts. You can store writing and information on it."

"What's that?"

"That...is a Game Cube. Uh, I'm not entirely sure how to describe it. It's something that allows you to play games on a TV."

The winding streets were extremely friendly, though a lot of the wizards going around only spoke French, often leaving the two children confused. Lights glowed and danced overhead. Trains rushed past on elevated platforms. It was as if the city itself was constantly in motion.

"If this is the City of Lights, I can't help but wonder what the magical version of the City that Never Sleeps looks like." Harry mused, mentally adding New York to their potential travel list.

"The what?" Astoria asked, biting into her bottom lip. She was realizing very quickly just how very little she knew about the world outside of Britain, and now she was starting to feel rather foolish when she had to ask Harry what something was.

Harry caught her expression and smiled. "Don't worry, I'll tell you more when we reach our hotel. Then we can work out our travel plans into something a little more streamlined."

Astoria smiled again at this. "I like that. Do you suppose we can find a map written in English?"

As it turned out, looking for a map that was just English was unnecessary. A friendly clerk pointed them to a magical map that changed it's language to whatever the reader needed it to be. Harry located their prepaid hotel and the two of them set off down the street again.

It was an elegant place, with floating lightbulbs to guide the way. Harry felt extremely self conscious walking in and once again worried that someone would question two clearly unrelated children travelling together, but they got to their hotel room without much fuss. This one, thankfully, had two beds. It had a carpet and a large desk.

Harry immediately sat down with Astoria next to him and opened Hedwig's cage. The bird chirped happily, finally allowed to fly around freely, and left to hunt. After that, Harry quickly emptied the contents of his smaller backpack onto the desk and grabbed himself a pen.

"So, shall we create a trail to follow?" He suggested.

Astoria nodded eagerly. "Oh yes! I can't wait to see where else there is to go."

With that, they opened a good number of maps and reference books. Hours ticked by as they read, occasionally speaking up when they spotted something that interested them. Harry wrote down short notes whenever he saw something that he should keep in mind. Eventually, he turned to his travel journal and nodded, having come to a potential decision.

He pointed to several travel guides on the desk and turned to Astoria. He smiled. "So, aside from Australia-" He pointed to the island on the far right of the world map he had opened. "-I was thinking we should also go to Italy. Did you know that the person who discovered the cure to Dragon Pox was born Italian?"

"No," Astoria said, eyes lighting up. "Oh, how about after that, we go to Germany?" She pointed to the country. "I'd like to see the parts of Grindelwald's prison that we're allowed to visit. Oh, and we can also see the Duelling arenas! Duelling is an official sport there," She explained for Harry's benefit, "out there it's almost as popular as Quidditch. I think most German schools have it as a compulsory course from the beginning."

"That would have been nice," Harry said to himself. He studied the map. "How about Norway? It says here that it's supposedly Rowena Ravenclaw's birthplace." He put his fingers on one of the guides. "Also, it says that there are ancient Healing Springs in that area too."

"I heard about that!" Astoria said eagerly. "It's said that the pilgrimage there is treacherous, but if you were an innocent that no matter how severe your wounds or your sickness you could walk out healed!"

"It also has a Hippogriff national park," Harry said in interest, looking at the guide. "I didn't realize they were endangered."

"They were considered a status symbol back in the seventeenth century," Astoria said. "People tried to capture them, and they were hunted until only a few of them survived in the wild."

Harry sighed. "Well, there's one thing that muggles and wizards have in common."

Astoria drew lines on the map, connecting a flight path to Italy, Norway and Germany. She looked back at the world map. "You said New York?"

"Yeah," Harry said. "Wow, look at this. The City that Never Sleeps, central magical trade and triumph of the world. Merlin, that is such an American statement to make. What's their other slogan? One nation under Merlin? Well, it couldn't hurt to see if it lives up to its high opinion of itself huh?"

"Harry, what are the Smithsonian Museums?" Astoria asked, squinting down at the muggle guide.

Harry thought about that for a second before remembering that the wizards thought going to space was a mere fairy tale. He smiled. "Oh, I think you'd like to see those. In fact, I think while we're there I'll take you to Los Angelos and to Hollywood. There are two amazing muggle places."

"How about we go to Brazil after that?" Astoria suggested, following a trail on the map with her finger down to South America. "I heard its a really exotic location."

"Sure," Harry said, spinning through one of his reference guides. Astoria made a noise and pointed to one of the pictures. "Look at that! Someone actually has a few live Manticore there. I thought they had gone extinct!"

"There's also the Memorial of Emma Zhang up in Northern Canada. She exterminated the Windigos that were slaughtering everyone magical and muggle. We can stop by Alaska and see the island of the Minator. We can catch that before going to Tokyo." Harry suggested, gesturing to another guide. "Some of the greatest Transfiguration artists alive live there." He read this aloud from the page.

"And some of the oldest dragon breeds." Astoria added solemnly. "I heard that some of them are old enough that they can speak the human language."

"You're kidding." Harry said, looking up at her. In the candlelight, Astoria's eager green eye seemed to sparkle.

Astoria shook her head. "No jokes. I wonder what they would have to say if we're allowed to talk to them."

Harry drew the line along until it reached Tokyo. "Africa? For sightseeing?" He suggested.

Astoria looked at some of the pictures and said, "Sure." She took the pen from Harry and connected the travel path. "And then to Australia."

The two sat there in silence for a second, contemplating their travel plans. Astoria glanced at Harry and said, "I think that covers it for now." She said. "I can't wait to start."

Harry nodded, standing up and walking over to the window. He stared down at the gleaming streets, watching as young children ran past, tugging their parents along with them. People just stopping at the corners to chat. He felt a tug at his heart and smiled softly.

Why hadn't he done this before? He was away, away from his troubles and the things that had been stalking him. Perhaps it had been fear of his aunt and uncle that had kept him in that house, but if he'd known then what he had known now would he have ever stayed in that place? Harry wondered if the Dursleys, his only living family, were the least bit bothered by his disappearance from Hogwarts – if they had been informed at all. Somehow he didn't imagine Vernon or Petunia were crying very much over that. And even after how they'd treated him for thirteen years that thought stung him.

What was going back at Hogwarts, Harry wondered idly. Was anyone really worried that he was gone? Or were they just happy that they had him out of their hair?

"Harry? Is something wrong?" Astoria's voice was warm with concern. Harry gave a start when she put her hands on his shoulders. Her touch was gentle, and it felt different from what he'd experienced with Hermione or Mrs. Weasley.

"Just thinking," He said.

"Want to talk about it?" Astoria suggested. "It always made me feel better to talk about the things bothering me instead of keeping them in."

Harry thought about that, and to his surprise the lump that should have come up in his throat was completely absent. "You know what? That would be nice. To have someone who's willing to listen."

He turned from the window and walked over to his bed, running his fingers through his messy black hair. He sat down, feeling the mattress groan slightly under his weight. A deep sigh escaped his lips, causing his entire body to shake slightly before relaxing. He kicked his shoes off as Astoria sat on her bed, right across from him.

Her green eyes were so open. Harry thought in wonder, that a girl he had met two days ago was giving him the patience and understanding he'd only really gotten from Sirius, over a few letters. "Let me tell you a story, Astoria. It's not a very happy one. At one point, there was a child with two loving parents. One of them was a muggleborn who was famously talented in magic. The other was the son of an old family, or so I've been told. They loved each other, and they loved their child. But then a dark wizard decided to go after them. The parents didn't survive the battle. But their son did, for no particular merit of his own – he was saved by the love of his mother. You probably know this part already."

He smiled coldly. "Want to hear the part that you probably don't know? The parents were betrayed by one of their close friends. Someone who Dumbledore had expressed confidence in. This person framed the other friend for betraying the parents and faked his death, scurrying to safety in the oblivious safety of another wizarding family. He was a coward, but he was also an opportunist. He hadn't fled out of any regret for what he had done, but because the things he had done were so he could have the protection of the biggest bully on the playground, and he wasn't about to waste his time on a wreck of a wizard that had no power. Oh, he knew that the dark wizard had not, in fact, been vanquished that fateful night when the boy lost his parents. There are a few people who knew, although how he did it is beyond me. And the great caring Dumbledore did not step in on the betrayed one's side, to give him the decency of a trial. He was simply thrown into Azkaban because everyone assumed he was guilty with no further investigation. There was a fourth friend, but he was not allowed anywhere near the boy either. Not because he was a bad person, but because he had a condition that made people irrationally fear him. A condition that didn't affect his ability to care for anyone."

"Now, the boy was an enigma. The boy who lived, everyone calls him. They think he must have it all. The papers blather on about his wealth and his alleged power. Everyone whispers when he walks past, people stare at in him envy or in lust or in other ways that I probably don't want to imagine. They all have an image about him that they think is the truth. And there's the important word there. An image. A falsehood, and the utter opposite of the reality that existed for that boy."

Harry took a deep breath. "The boy was dropped on the doorstep of his mother's sister, who hated magic and above all hated her sister. She was married to a walrus of a man who was even less tolerant of things that didn't fit into his worldview then he was. They had a fat bully of a son that is quickly shaping up to have all of their worst qualities in one big package."

"I wonder if people would still accuse that boy of being attention seeking and big-headed if they knew he spent the first ten years of his life sleeping in a cupboard under the stairwell that most people reserve for keeping old books and antiques." He said savagely. Astoria gasped and stared at him in shock. "The boy had never had friends because his cousin would beat up anyone who went near him. The boy was rarely fed anything decent; he was always told that he was a freak, a burden, a monster, unlovable, unwanted, and worthless besides. He spent his formative years with people who despised him, who cared nothing for him and used him for slave labour, for lack of a better word. No one ever stepped forward to help this boy. No one offered comfort or respite from the loneliness. He didn't even know how his parents really died – his aunt told him that they were drunkards who had died in a car crash."

Astoria made a noise of anger and distress. "They didn't," She said in disbelief. "No one treats their family that way."

Harry gave her a brittle look. "With all due respect, that's your family. You don't know what the Dursleys were like." His jaw locked. "You don't know what they can do."

"But..." Astoria looked like someone who was just coming to realize something. "That's why you were always dressed shabbily when you weren't in your uniform?" She said in distress. "That wasn't a ploy to mislead people on how you operated?"

Harry blinked. "That's what people thought? Huh. I thought they just didn't factor that in when they constructed their version of reality."

"That's what a good number of the Slytherins thought." Astoria said. "After all, you're actually really smart in class, and on a broomstick you've never lost a match. I mean, there were the Dementors, but that really wasn't fair." Her voice grew timid, "It hadn't even occurred to me..."

Harry just gave a weary sigh. "It's fine, Astoria. You didn't really know me before this, and even the people who I thought were closest to me didn't seem to realize it either."

"But why?" Astoria asked softly. "Why would your aunt and uncle treat their own flesh and blood that way?"

"Oh, I don't know. Why do pure bloods treat muggleborns like dirt?" Harry asked dryly. "Why are house elves nearly routinely tortured by their masters? They think magic is unnatural and twisted. They're biased and acting on it. There's really not that much of a difference between them and Draco Malfoy."

He gave a short chuckle. "It's funny that Malfoy keeps telling everyone that muggles are stupid and barbaric and yet he acts just like two of them."

"I hadn't thought about it that way," Astoria said thoughtfully. "Father doesn't engage in pure blood philosophy, but he doesn't seem to think that muggles are very important in the grand scale of our world."

"A thought process that seems to be common back there," Harry said. "I bet if you took away Draco's wand, have him gain a few pounds and made his hair a lighter blonde he could be adopted as Dudley's twin.

"Well, at least you have Hogwarts to go to, to get away from those muggles," Astoria said hopefully. Harry smiled sadly.

"That was what I had thought, for a while anyway."

Astoria looked questioningly at him, and Harry said, "Shall I continue my story?" He smiled when she nodded, looking very serious now.

Harry kicked his legs out a bit, his knuckles whitening as he gripped the edge of his bed. "The boy had bouts of accidental magic whenever he was stressed enough, and his aunt and uncle would always punish him severely for it. He didn't understand any of it, and after a while he started to think that he must really be a freak. Why else would these things happen? Why else would his aunt and uncle hate him so much?"

Astoria made another angry noise in her throat, though this time it was mingled with distress instead of disbelief.

"Then a miracle happened. The boy got a letter from a school that told him that he was a wizard. The aunt and uncle did their very best to keep the knowledge from the boy, but it would not be deterred. Eventually the boy found out, and he was told the truth about his parents. He was introduced to a new world, one that seemed so beautiful and perfect in comparison to the one he had been trapped in for so long. He ran into it with vigour." He smiled sadly. "The joy of being accepted made him gullible."

"He made friends with people who would turn on him so easily. He even risked his life for one, when a troll entered the school. Their dysfunctional arguing all the time also made him uncomfortable. He often felt like they included him in these fights to make him choose between them, and this put unwelcome pressure on his emotions. And even without that to think about, the boy's life was in danger. The supposed greatest wizard since Merlin allowed a man into the school who was supporting the wizard who had killed the boy's parents, and he tried to finish the job multiple times. The boy went to teachers with his suspicions and was dismissed. The supporter nearly succeeded in his task at the end of the first year, but through luck and his mother's protection the boy survived – only to be shuttled back to the same cruel environment that he had been living in for so long."

"The Dursleys, if possible, were colder then they had been before the boy knew the truth about his magic. I bet those Daily Prophet articles that have been talking about me didn't mention that I spent my summer before my second year locked in my room like a prisoner of Azkaban. Or that I was fed even less then before. Or that I was blamed for magic that a house elf had caused in a bid to keep me from going back to Hogwarts."

Harry's eyes narrowed. "In retrospect, the boy would likely have been better off if he had heeded the elf's warnings. Once again, he was in life threatening danger. He was blamed for being the Heir of Slytherin. The whole school watched him with suspicion and anger. It bothered him more then anything to be treated like an outcast, because it brought back one too many painful memories. It was as if he had never left the Dursleys at all."

"Then he had to save a young girl who had been ensnared by a dark artifact because apparently an entire school full of wizards of many years of talent can't tell that the attacks that were turning students to stone were caused by a basilisk. Something that a second year could figure out by just spending an hour in the library. Against all odds, he managed to kill the monster and save the girl."

Astoria squeaked in horror. "You had to fight a basilisk?" She whispered.

"Yeah," Harry said evenly. He rolled up his sleeve and ran his finger down his forearm. "I almost died too. One of its fangs got buried in my arm. The Headmaster's familiar came down and saved me in time."

"The Headmaster's phoenix?" Astoria echoed in confusion. "But if he knew where the chamber was and the phoenix could get down there, why didn't he come down and help you himself?"

Harry shrugged with a certain amount of anger. "I don't know. Dumbledore actually hasn't helped me a whole much. Two times I've been hated and feared and he hasn't said a single word, though whenever someone gives Malfoy exactly what he deserves there's always a teacher right around the corner who will deduct points from the people he'd been bullying and mistreating."

"The other students didn't understand why you're getting all these points at the ends of the years," Astoria admitted. "A lot of them seem to think that you were Dumbledore's pet or something, and that made them resentful. At least, the Slytherins I knew were resentful of it."

"Really?" Harry exhaled, gritting his teeth. "I would have liked no better to have made friends with some Slytherins. But it's like Dumbledore and the Gryffindors set me up to be a loner with no one else to turn to whenever they decided to leave me hanging. Because everyone has these warped images of me that have come about through things that have happened that I have no control over, or when I try to do the right thing and they don't seem to like that."

"I think you're amazing, Harry." Astoria said. "I heard rumours about what happened with Quirrel, and I heard a few things about the basilisk and the spell you cast that could deflect hundreds of dementors."

Harry, despite himself, felt a smile coming to his face. "Thanks Astoria, that's nice to know." He said. "I wish a few other people had that kind of confidence in me."

"Third year. He's being dogged by the betrayed fried of his parents, who finally managed to escape the hell he'd been trapped in years before. Everyone thought he was the betrayer and that there was a mass murderer after the young boy. Was this boy given any extra protection? No. He was surrounded by monsters that he had no way of defending himself against, and the friend was seen walking in and out of the school as though he earned it. Did they move the boy somewhere safer? Did they look the betrayed friend up to see if there was anything that might be helping him? No, they just left him hanging. Through sheer luck and chance, the boy discovered that the betrayed friend was innocent – and his godfather – and the true murderer was uncovered. Unfortunately, because of some really horrible timing the other friend, who had helped, was overcome by his condition and in the following chaos the rat managed to get away."

Astoria listened to this and asked, "The other friend was a werewolf, wasn't he?"

"Remarkable intuition." Harry remarked. "What gave it away?"

"Well, you said 'horrible timing', and that there was chaos afterwards, so that was the first thing that came to mind," Astoria responded. "Also, Professor Lupin resigned citing 'health reasons', and the night that Sirius escaped was the night of the full moon."

"Smart," Harry said. "Pity that Snape had to be so biased, or he might not have let it slip at the table during breakfast, and Lupin would still be teaching us."

Astoria frowned at this, "I wonder why Professor Snape would do that." She seemed to realize something else. "Sirius Black is your godfather?"

"Yes."

"And he's innocent of the mass murder thirteen years ago?"

"Yes, he is." Harry said. "That's what happens when you don't give people a trial. Little things like him not actually being guilty might pop up."

"Oh Merlin!" Astoria exclaimed. "This kind of misdemeanour is just incredible! And for it to have happened to the last living member of the House of Black...locked up for thirteen years with the dementors...dear Merlin! This is a disaster! The poor man!" She looked anxiously at Harry. "But he escaped alright?"

"Yeah, he's fine." Harry said. "He was in the Bahamas the last time I heard from him. Safe and sound, though no closer to having his name cleared."

Astoria bit her lip. "I can't imagine why Professor Snape..."

"Oh, who knows." Harry said. "I don't understand Snape and I don't have a whole lot of incentive to start trying. And of course, all this brings me to this year. I'm dropped illegally into a tournament I don't want to compete in, and suddenly everyone's acting like I'm worse then Draco Malfoy. I'm tormented even worse then Dudley's gang ever did, and to cap it all off it was coming to a head because of my two _best _friends. I had to isolate myself. I couldn't bear the way I was being treated. It hurt so much. It hurt like the aura of a Dementor."

He looked up at Astoria. "And then another miracle happened. He met a girl who didn't treat him like everyone else was. Who didn't believe in the fallacies that everyone else were taking as gospel truth. Someone who offered to make an incredibly insane, risky and wonderful decision that he decided to go along with. And they escaped the building together."

"That boy has only been away from the source of his pain for nearly two days, and he's already happier then he has been in months. And it was all thanks to her."

Astoria blushed bright red. She got up off her bed, walked over to his, sat down and clasped his hands in hers. For a second, they just sat there in silence.

"It's not fair," Astoria said after a minute.

Harry just sighed. "It's not fair. If I had a nickle for every time I said that, or every time I thought that..."

"A nickle?"

"Sorry. Muggle currency. American, as it is. It's just a phrase." Harry said.

"You deserve better then this," Astoria murmured.

"Thanks, Astoria." Harry said. A thought struck him. "Do you mind if I call you Ash? Or Tori? Your name's a bit of a mouthful."

Astoria smiled softly at him. "I like Tori. My sister calls me that sometimes, when she remembers what its like to feel emotions." Her grasp on his hands tightened just a bit. "I guess my sob story isn't quite as dramatic as yours. You probably know a little bit about pure bloods. How wealthy they are. How spectacular their lives are. How much power they wield. Well, let me ease your mind about one thing. It's all a lie." She said this quietly, almost coldly, which was such a strange thing from her that Harry looked down at her in concern.

Astoria just met his eyes with her deep green ones. "You told me your story. It's only fair," She said softly. She reached up and undid one of her ruby earrings. Carefully she took it down and cradled it in her hands. "See this?" She whispered. "There's a story about a little girl. She was born into an old family, one with a father, mother and a sister. Now, they were a respectable family, and they didn't get involved in some of the uglier aspects that pure bloods these days engage in. The mother of the house was kind and compassionate and a firebrand in the sky. She ran with the wind and took her daughters with her. She told them funny stories and wasn't afraid to let her emotions lead her down different paths them what might have been dictated for other girls of her stature."

Astoria closed her eyes. "But one day, the mother fell very sick. Even her bonded house elf wasn't sure what was wrong with her. She cried foul play, but no one believed that the elf was telling the truth. The two sisters and the father could only watch helplessly as she deteriorated out of unknown causes. One day, the mother called them to her bedside and told them that the pure bloods had to change. That if we didn't accept life in all its aspects, shapes and forms, we would destroy ourselves and condemn our children and their children to lingering deaths."

The blonde swallowed and said, "She died a few hours later. But the young girl was allowed to hold onto her earrings, and with them she could pretend that she still heard her mother's voice in her ears and her touch as she brushed her hair or her cheek. She was determined that she wouldn't let her mother's spirit be lost. In...in many ways, she was the most like her mother."

"The father was crushed by the mother's death. Something inside him changed. He never smiled again. He seemed lost, detached, like he was floating through the motions. Like he had lost a part of himself, and had never really recovered. He became more like the other pure bloods that we met with for dances and other things. The older sister sought for solace. She could not bear for things to be uncertain anymore, so slowly the younger sister watched as she fell in step with the other heirs. She became colder and quieter, and disappointed that the younger sister wasn't following with tradition. She went to school keeping potential future husbands in mind, as though she was already eighteen. The younger sister tried to bring back the sister that she loved, but it was as though she had turned to glass."

Astoria gently rubbed the earring with her thumb. "The younger sister watched helplessly as her sister was assimilated. And as her father changed, and began to put pressure on her. Find a husband. Befriend the Malfoy scion. Become more demure. But the younger sister hadn't forgotten her mother's last words. She watched as violence brewed on the horizon, listened to rumours that echoed the dying words. She didn't want to be a baby maker who never left her house. She didn't want to become ... some glorified doll to be put on display by some rich man!"

She paused and gulped, as though trying to steady herself. "Over the years, she couldn't help but watch a boy. A Gryffindor boy, so there was an unspoken rule that she was not allowed to attempt to befriend him. But she couldn't help it. He seemed so kind, and so strange. She saw the people of Hogwarts drive him away the way her sister had begun to drive her away. So she reached out to him one day. And he made her think, truly think, about how trapped she was. And in an instant, she decided to run away, to escape the beautiful home that had become her prison."

Astoria smiled. "And he's been so kind. He was willing to come with her. It...it was like she's free now. Free as a bird. Like mother would have wanted."

Harry was speechless. After a second he impulsively wrapped his arms around Astoria. For a second he thought it might have been a bad idea, but Astoria leaned into the embrace. "God, I'm so sorry Astoria. I...it didn't even occur to me. I've been a real brat, if I think that bad things only happen to me. I hadn't thought that there might be other things going on with a pureblood scion then what I know from Malfoy. That there might be emotional reasons compelling you to run away."

Astoria sniffled slightly and said, "It's okay Harry. It...it feels good to talk about it. I miss my mother, but as long as I have these she'll never really leave me." She reattached her earring to her ear. "I'm just glad I'm out here..."

"So am I..."

For a moment, they sat in silence, just leaning into the long needed comfort of the embrace. Harry wasn't sure how long it was until he released his grip on Astoria.

The blonde looked curiously at Harry and said, "Maybe I should have thought of this earlier, but should you contact Sirius? I mean, if we've disappeared, he must be worried."

Harry thought about that for a second and his eyes widened. "I...Merlin, I hadn't even thought about...oh bloody hell, Sirius! What am I going to...argh, I knew there was something I wasn't thinking through." He ran a hand through his messy black hair. "What am I going to do about this?"

Astoria thought for a moment. "Do you have a house elf?"

"A house...oh. Dobby." Harry said, his brain nearly shorting out. "Why hadn't I considered...why...oh! Lord, I'm stupid," He said sheepishly. "How exactly am I supposed to call for Dobby though?"

"Master Harry Potter Sir calls for Dobby!" The elf proclaimed, appearing in their room with a crack. Harry yelped, but Astoria hardly blinked, as though this were a perfectly ordinary occurrence.

"Dobby! How..." Harry started in confusion.

"Oh Harry, house elves work by strange magic. You just need to call the one that's bound to you and he'll come, no matter what." Astoria explained, smiling at his expression.

"Great, Dobby you can be of help to me but first you have to promise not to tell anyone where I am or where to look for me. Okay?" Harry said.

"Dobby promises Harry Potter Sir that he will be safely hidden."

"Great." Harry grabbed the pen from the desk and scribbled a quick letter to Sirius, saying that he was safe and not to worry. "Here, I need you to take this to Sirius. If he sends a reply bring it to me okay? And don't let anyone else see you."

"Yes sir, I will do as you ask." Dobby took the letter and vanished in a crack.

Harry let his breath out. "Well, there's that. Funny, I didn't realize elves could do that."

Astoria's brow furrowed and she studied Harry. "No one told you about these things?" She said. "Why wouldn't any of the houses you're family is aligned with tell you about your history and how the world works?"

"Houses?" Harry echoed blankly, sitting down next to Astoria again. "Alliances? This is the first time I'm hearing about this."

"Well," Astoria said, "Your parents weren't deeply involved in pure blood politics, but they had alliances with other families. Some were passed down from Potters who were more involved in pure blood society, and others were formed more recently just out of friendliness. The Longbottoms and the Potters, for instance, have been having children standing side by side for centuries. Charles Potter and Orion Black were close in their youth before the first war drove them apart. Amelia Bones was a close friend of your father and mother. And that's just the few I know of. To uphold their old friends and bonds, they should have been there to tell you these things when you returned to the wizarding world."

Harry blinked. "But I barely know Neville. He's never been close, though we were at least friendly before my name came out. Amelia Bones...her niece Susan has been cold towards me thanks to the Hufflepuff hive mentality of 'Harry's-trying-to-overshadow-our-champion' party line."

Astoria sighed. "Good lord. All over one tournament. People really do turn on a kunt." She smiled up at him, her eyes warm. "Well, I guess it will be a trade-off then. You'll teach me about muggles and I'll teach you about magic."

Harry smiled back at her, his chest feeling warm. "I like the sound of that."

**Back in Britain**

The Aurors appeared in front of the school very close to nighttime. Dumbledore went out to meet them, and despite his strenuous insistance that no one else listen many Hogwarts students including Hermione and Daphne slipped out of the castle to hear the report.

"There's no sign of him." Kingsley Shakabolt said gravely. He was a good auror and sometimes he questioned the logic of the things Dumbledore did, this time being one of them. "Anywhere. I talked to the goblins, but according to them there's been no withdrawals from his or Greengrass's bank accounts. That suggests that they haven't gotten far, but we've gone through all the nearby areas and they're nowhere to be found."

"Checked back with his muggle relatives," Nymphadora Tonks added. "Nothing from them either, so he's probably not moving around by muggle means. I didn't think that was likely anyway, given that Astoria probably wouldn't last long trying to pretend to be a muggle." She scowled. "They didn't seem to worried about him vanishing. I don't like them much."

Dumbledore made a mental note to steer any further investigation away from the Dursleys. It could potentially give way for them to air some unwelcome truths about the way they were raising Harry. Just the way they threw around the word 'freak' was likely to raise eyebrows. "Then where could he possibly be?" Dumbledore demanded. "Britian is his homeland. He can't have gotten too far, as you said."

"The search is ongoing," Kingsley said with a hint of annoyance. "We don't have a whole lot to go on though."

Dumbledore pinched his nose. "Why would they run away?" He asked himself aloud.

Tonks snorted. "Maybe it has something to do with the really crappy way everyone's been stomping all over him ever since Halloween?" She suggested in a tone dripping with sarcasm. It made her sound like Sirius had prior to his imprisonment. The younger Black's constant sarcastic remarks had always been a sore point for Dumbledore in earlier years, one he'd tolerated out of needing the boy's assistance and bloodline.

Dumbledore shot Tonks a scowl. "Mere school ground shouting. It's never driven a schoolboy away before."

"Mere?" Tonks echoed with distaste, "From what I've been hearing they treated him like a worse pariah then they do the Slytherin students."

"His name came out of the cup, my hands were tied. I expected that it was simply one of those falling outs that actually strengthens the relationships in question by the time it blows over."

Tonks stared at him. "Sir, with all due respect, I highly doubt that _that _was the nature of this particular treatment, and I've hardly witnessed any of it! It's my understanding that he wasn't welcome anywhere around other students. That everyone treated him terribly."

"I admit I agree with Tonks," Kingsley said. Seriously, he added, "And I'm getting the sense that Amelia Bones is starting to think along those lines as well. She's very suspicious of the fact that Harry has chosen _now _to run away, after the other things that have happened to him."

Dumbledore whitened slightly. "I think I should to go the Ministry tonight," He said. "Perhaps I can be of assistance to Madam Bones in this pressing investigation."

Tonks mouthed out something that looked like 'yeah, right', and the three of them left the grounds and disapparated.

**End Chapter**

**I realize some people are worried Harry and Astoria are falling too fast, so I've slowed it down a bit. They'll have a few real talks before they have their first kiss. Also, most of the places that they'll be visiting have been outlined! I'm really looking forward to it. First, they'll be moving around Paris. The World is an interesting place!**

**Read and Review please!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Finding a Place to Call Home**

**Moon: Hello, I'm back! Thank you once again to everyone who was lovely enough to review! Thanks for offering your opinions! Anyway, this chapter deals a little more with Harry and Astoria's relationship, a little more from Sirius, and then a look at where the two of them will be going next! I do not own Harry Potter...enjoy!**

**Chapter 4: Breakfast and a Show**

_**Tri-Wizard Tournament Cancelled! Harry Potter entered Illegally by Barty Crouch Jr!**_

_**Harry Potter vanishes from Britain!**_

Harry Potter ate a mouthful of his chocolate croissant while he watched Astoria scan the paper in her hands. They were sitting in a muggle restaurant, enjoying the French's delicacies under a slight dillusionment charm. The sun was high in the sky and Dobby had just come back with a letter from Sirius. It had gone on for about two pages about disappearing and worrying him and leaving him behind in Grimmauld Place, but that he was glad he was okay. He asked why Harry had run off anyway and Harry was trying to scribe his letter while he ate breakfast.

Harry had almost forgotten what it was like to write with a pen. It had also occurred to him that he was missing out on four years of muggle schooling, something that irked him to no end. Muggle studies couldn't be bothered to keep them up on that, huh? _Well_, he thought, _at least I'll have something to do on the longer train rides. _

Astoria took another bite out of her fruitcake, the sun glinting off her ruby earrings. She had poured over the menu for almost thirty minutes trying to choose what to eat, and the food had proven to be a success. They had almost missed the newspaper – if Beaubaxtons hadn't been in the tournament, they probably wouldn't have found out at all. But Harry had seen it out of the corner of his eye and grabbed it.

"They think we're still in Britain," He said. Was it strange that he found that more amusing then anything else? "Why would they think I stuck around?"

"Because they never bother to think from your perspective," Astoria said, flipping the page over before continuing with breakfast. "You said so yourself. Look, apparently your aunt and uncle have declined to comment."

Harry snorted. "Which is probably another way of saying that they said something that Dumbledore had to hush up in fear of getting in trouble. I can't imagine Vernon passing up an opportunity to rant about me." He finished his croissant. "Any comments from the staff?"

Astoria scowled down at the paper. "Apparently McGongall is at a loss to understand your disappearance. She says that the Gryffindors are usually a very tight-knit group, and that one of their own would do something so drastic is beyond her understanding. Professor Sprout is expressing her disappointment in her Hufflepuffs, but she has very much downplayed on all the stuff they actually did. Dumbledore says that they're making every effort to find 'one of their dearest students'."

"Wonder if he managed to say that with a straight face." Harry said sarcastically. "Then again, he seems to be really good at that."

He sat back in his seat and drank from his milk glass. "I kind of expected better from Professor McGonagall, though. She seemed so strict and understanding before this. A good, supportive teacher. I suppose her loyalty to Dumbledore really does come before anything else. Even the safety of a student. Or their lives, depending on what the next task would have been for me. As for Sprout – huh. So Hogwarts reputation is more important then telling the truth."

"They have no reason to tell the world why you left," Astoria said tartly. "Having to cancel something as big as the Tri-Wizard tournament because one of their two champions disappeared is already a huge blow to their public image, Harry. It's considered very prestigious and will stir up a lot of controversy. Rita Skeeter's probably having the time of her life printing up articles."

"Probably," Harry said darkly. He knew the name Rita Skeeter. She had been responsible for a large portion of the public trashing he had been getting from the Prophet. His so called friends fed her the lies and she printed them to the public.

"This is going to make waves," Astoria said uneasily, glancing around the shop. "Beaubaxtons will feel it too."

"That would be nice," Harry responded. "Those students treated me badly along with acting like I was beneath their notice."

Astoria bit her bottom lip, something Harry had come to associate with her being nervous. It was a rather cute gesture. "Maybe we should leave Paris early, just in case they think to look for us here. There will be a media storm here too."

"Mmm, not just yet." Harry said. "I doubt Dumbledore thinks I'm capable of getting that far. He says here that Hogwarts is supposed to mean more then anything to me, like it did for my parents. As if the parents I can't remember should be my only reason to immediately return to the school. If that's supposed to be emotional blackmail, he'll have to do better then that."

Astoria made a noise of agreement. "The man has no shame," She said angrily. "He hasn't even told you anything real about your parents, and he tries to use that to control you."

"There's a lot else that he's been using." Harry muttered darkly. "I think he's done more then that, but I don't know about it. I'm not sure what's real and what's a lie these days." He closed the paper, his fingers brushing against Astoria's. "Speaking of my family, how about you tell me about these alliances."

Astoria smiled and sat up straight. "Well, alliances are usually made from one pure blood lord to another. Promises of protection or financial help or closeness between the houses. The Potter and Longbottom alliance is a famous one, for instance. The two lords that were alive when the alliance was formed were closer then brothers, and lived side by side for years. They saved each other's lives more times then anyone could count. They fought together and acted together in society. Lord Longbottom stood beside Lord Potter at his wedding and Lord Potter did the same two years later. When they were going to die, they told their daughters to have their children at the same time, so this would always be so. It's been that way ever since, right down to James Potter and Frank Longbottom."

"But not with me and Neville," Harry said, starting to frown at this. Neville hadn't outwardly joined in on his cruel treatment, but he had been staying at Ron's side through almost the entire thing, as if seeking his protection from something. That didn't exactly warm his opinion towards the other boy.

"The Bones family was a political ally of the Potters, when your great-grandmother Catherine Potter decided to marry a muggleborn. The treatment of muggleborns was much worse then, and Jonathan Bones worked alongside Catherine's brother John to make some of the first changes, that allowed Catherine to remain in her family and retain her noble status despite her marriage. In return, John Potter paid to construct Bones Manor as a gesture of goodwill, and Jonathan swore that his children and his children's children would always be an ally of the Potters." Her eyes darkened. "Evidently, that didn't work out either."

"Charlus Potter saved the life of George Spinnet, and instead of forcing him to complete a Life Debt Charlus offered to make him an alliance instead. It bumped the Spinnet family house up to Noble status, when they had been floundering before. Your father paid for Alicia Spinnet's dad to become a lawyer just after he graduated from Hogwarts."

Harry's eyes narrowed slightly. "I've been playing Quidditch with Alicia for three years, and she never thinks to bring this up?"

Astoria frowned a bit. "Some people would rather not have the obligations that go along with alliances, obviously."

Harry grumbled for a minute. "Anyone else I should know about?"

"Then there's the Moon family," Astoria shook her head.

"Moon?" Harry cycled through the students of Hogwarts in his head. "Lilith Moon? Slytherin in my year? She was in school for the few weeks before my name came up, but she disappeared. I haven't seen her for over a month."

"Well, that doesn't surprise me that much."

"Why?"

"Harry, the Moon family is cursed." Astoria said.

"Cursed? Cursed how?"

"No one knows why. There's a lot of hearsay going on, but some people say that they were cursed by the Moon spirit. This isn't the first time Lilith has had to leave the school during the year. The Moon family has been isolated for centuries because of this curse. Charlus Potter was the first person who dared approach them in a long time. He did something for Lilith's grandfather that allowed Lilith to attend school at all. I've rarely heard Lilith talk at all, and she won't say why she has to leave school at random intervals. But bad things have happened around her. Everyone avoids her. I asked her why she didn't have any friends and she said, 'to protect them'." Astoria said grimly.

Harry thought about that. He was frustrated and disappointed with the other people Astoria had mentioned, especially Neville after what she'd just told him, but Lilith hadn't been at school when it all unfolded. It also sounded like she wasn't a very happy young girl. Maybe he should think about getting in contact with her when he eventually returned to Britain.

"Those are all the ones I know about." Astoria finished. "I think there are more, given how prolific a Light family the Potters had been, but I wouldn't know about them. They're all probably listed in your account at Gringotts, among other things your parents have left for you."

Harry gave a slight nod. "I see."

Astoria tucked stray strands of blonde hair behind her ear and examined Harry's expression carefully. "I know you don't think much of the way pure bloods operate, but I'd like to give you my opinion – breaking an alliance is considered a very serious slight. You're welcome to claim restitution, if you want."

Harry shook his head. "I'll think about it, Astoria. Thank you, but I'd rather not sink to Malfoy's level by letting this get to me that badly."

Astoria watched Harry in wonder. The other students had treated him so badly and yet he didn't jump at the chance to claim retribution.

He really did deserve better then what he had gotten over the years, and Astoria hoped that she'd be able to heal his broken friendships and give him support that he should have gotten years ago. It was a pity that the other students hadn't realized what they were loosing when they had driven Harry away; if they did understand it would be too late. She would take care of him now.

"You're nothing like what they've said," Astoria said. Darkly, she added, "Weasley says that you can't be bothered by anyone other then your so-called 'friends', when it sounds to me like he's projecting. You deserve better then that Harry."

Harry smiled at her, feeling a little warm inside. Quietly he said. "Thank you Astoria. Hey, how about I pay the bill now and go sightseeing?"

Astoria's green eyes lit up. "Sure. I'd love that."

%&%&%&%&%&%&%&%&%&%&

Paris was a beautiful place to walk around in. Harry and Astoria wandered around the city just watching everything they came across, walking alongside streams and up tree-lined paths, talking about nothing in particular and enjoying each other's company. Harry kept his promise and started telling Astoria about muggle culture, and after a while she was begging him to show her some movies or amusement parks. Astoria was a good listener and skipped along as Harry told her about the courses at school, what muggles were like and some of their history, all of which she was unfamiliar with. Harry was astounded by just how little the wizards thought of their nonmagical counterparts; you'd think that the muggles were still cavemen instead of pioneers in their own rights and in some ways more progressive then the British wizarding community.

Eventually their conversation went in other directions and Harry realized just how much he enjoyed Astoria's company and presence. He had meant to go it alone in the beginning after loosing his original friends but now he was glad that he had taken Astoria's suggestion of running away. She was infectiously cheerful and curious that he couldn't help but laugh along with her when she found something funny. When she teased him he could tell that she being playful, as opposed to sardonically questioning something he had done. She was like a warm beam of light breaking through the smothering, dark clouds that had surrounded him long ago.

Harry wondered that if given a little more time Astoria could become more then just a friend. Maybe the stirrings inside him were the same as the ones he had once started feeling for Hermione, and that with her help he'd be able to move on from this point in his life. She was different from anyone he had ever known, as uncertain and exhilarating as the rushing wind. He just hoped that she'd be willing to have him, if that was the case.

Astoria always had so much energy, and many times Harry ended up getting pulled along to a muggle attraction he had just finished describing to her a moment ago. By the time the sun was starting to set she still had energy. They headed back to their hotel and found Dobby waiting for them. It had been Astoria who suggested that Harry take Dobby on as his personal elf to keep him from being tracked or ordered to give up information by the headmaster.

Dobby had another letter from Sirius. His godfather was outraged by the story he had gotten from Harry about his disappearance. He had guessed that something had gone wrong but the scale was much higher then he had expected. Sirius knew that Harry was a good and selfless boy, and he was immensely disappointed with how far gone the school he had adored had become.

In the letter Sirius told Harry that he was pulling away from Dumbledore and was headed for Cuba, meaning to sever ties with the manipulative old man for good. After getting out of Azkaban Sirius had been pondering some of the things that Dumbledore had decided to do, he might have been able to rationalize being left in Azkaban but Harry's mistreatment had proven to be the proverbial straw. He didn't mention if he had Remus with him in the letter, but Harry figured that he did. There had to be a country with lighter laws on lycanthorpy, and Remus was the only teacher who'd really managed to teach him a way to defend himself.

Sirius added in the letter that the Aurors were still searching Britain, though they were beginning to get frustrated. He approved of Harry widening his rage around the world, saying that James and Lily had intended to do something similar with the mauraders some time when the war against Voldemort had ended. He also said that he would meet up with Harry and Astoria at their earliest convenience, seeing as both of them would be wandering around.

Dobby had bad news too. He had gone through Hogwarts to keep the other elves from explaining his absences. He had stayed for a little to hear if the Aurors and the old man were onto Harry's trial. He had heard some of the usual grumblings but some other distressing things had come up. Dobby fretted over how to tell Harry that people who had been his friends thought that he was just seeking attention by leaving the school instead of fleeing out of fear and pain, and the full story of everyone's warped image of him. Harry had been stunned that the other students had thought he had been setting himself above them, because he had truly never meant such a thing and had wanted as many friends as he could possibly have. The emotional stress of all these years caught up with him and he broke down, Astoria sitting next to him and hugging him until he tears went away. When he finally stopped crying, she firmly said that they weren't worth his tears.

Harry slept more easily that night then any before.

That night, Astoria knelt down in front of Dobby when she was sure Harry was asleep. "Dobby," She whispered, "can you do something for me?"

"Dobby would be happy to Mistress Tori, what can Dobby do?"

"I hate what those teachers did to Harry," She said angrily, "Harry is noble and kind, and he doesn't deserve what they did. He doesn't seem to believe in restitution but _I _do, as my father did. Can you tell the DMLE how the Dursleys have treated Harry? I want you to do something that will set a fire under Dumbledore's arse and that's where I would start."

Dobby nodded so hard he almost fell over. "Dobby will do that Mistress Tori, Dobby knows that Master Harry is a good wizard. Dobby will tell Minister about bad whale people."

Astoria's green eyes had become flinty. "While your at it I'd like you to curse those awful muggles as well. Curse then so that they can only be thin and get thinner no matter what they eat, become weak and get weaker the more they try to force their way. If the wizards try to help them, they'll be forced to confess everything they did to abuse Harry. If they still refuse to admit it, then confund Petunia Dursley into thinking that her husband and son are displaying magic. In her horror and disgust she will disown them – because all people like her do – and when she does this to them, in the muggle divorce system make sure that Vernon and Dudley get nothing, while she keeps everything. When they are done and gone, left on the streets or in a jail, lift the confundous charm from her eyes and leave her in her bitter loneliness. May she be alone a bitter for the rest of her life for what she did to her nephew out of selfish pride."

Astoria could be kind but she was still the daughter of a pureblood lord. Vengance was something she understood well.

"And if Albus Dumbledore tries to cover it up I want you to take this -" she gave him an envelope that contained her memory of Harry telling her about the Dursleys. "-to the DMLE. And have Amelia Bones know that if she refuses to make the contents public, that the House of Potter will make it known that neither she nor her dark master have honour."

"Yes Mistress Tori." Dobby disappeared with a pop. Astoria stood up and looked down at Harry.

"They'll be sorry they hurt you Harry," Astoria murmured before walking towards her bed.

A surge of protectiveness had flared up inside her; she may not like being a pureblood but she was more then willing to use it to help someone she had come to care about.

%&%&%&%&%&%&%&%&%&%&

The next day, it was like someone had taken a weight of Harry's shoulders. He and Astoria slipped back into Magical Paris and went to the library. They spent the day there pouring over books and answering letters from Sirius, who kept them up to speed on what the Aurors were doing. Harry snorted when he heard that they were still searching the Little Whining Area, these people really didn't know him at all. Even at his lowest point he would never turn to the Dursleys for comfort, he had absolutely no ties left in Britain.

Astoria taught him more about house elves, and other dark creatures from the trolls that lived in the north to Leviathan, who slept in the darkest pits of the see and caused hurricanes, tidal waves and tornado whenever awakened. As they walked through the national parks, she told him more about recent history, including Dumbledore's battle against Gellert Grindelwald and the events she had been told of leading up to Voldemort's first demise.

Harry had merely listened and marveled about how truly little he had known about the world he had thought was his new home. It turned out that Wizarding Britain was an isolationist country because they seemed to believe that they had the best of everything, and many muggleborns had been alienated by their lack of protection and other anti-muggleborn sentiment. Magical Paris had proven to be more welcoming then Britain had been to him in four years.

One day, Astoria even told him about wandless magic, which she knew to a limited extent of but wasn't very proficient at. Harry had heard of it, but hadn't thought that many could do it. Astoria rolled her eyes and explained that it was because the texts existed, but in Britain they were restricted to reading only by old pureblood families, and few could be patient enough to learn it because they had become used to things coming to them without much effort.

Harry rolled his eyes when told this. "I really shouldn't be expecting anything less at this point. They're keeping magic to themselves and then they can't be bothered to learn it. What a sorry bunch."

Astoria raised a hand, causing the books around him to hover in the air a few feet of the ground. "Want to try it?" She suggested.

Harry smiled, nodded at her and focused on a nearby book. He thought about it rising from the ground, and to his surprise it lifted right off the ground with little effort. Astoria smiled eagerly and clapped, making him feel warm once again.

"On your first try!" She said in amazement. "I knew there was something different about you, if you could cast a Patronus that drove back over a hundred Dementors, but wandless magic on your first try!"

Harry gave an exaggerated groan. "Oh, don't you start seeing me as something special too. I've had enough of being special to last me a lifetime." He gave her a false disparaging look, and they both cracked up laughing a minute later.

They decided to rent all the books on wandless magic that this library had to offer, and study it back at their hotel. Two weeks they studied it, slowly struggling to get better as it grew more difficult along the way. Harry decided that they should go to Switzerland soon, because the media was indeed getting more concentrated in Paris as the French students had returned to their home and were being questioned on the closing of the Tri-Wizard Tournament. Astoria agreed, she would miss France but more then anything now she wanted to keep Harry happy and safe, and there was a chance that they could be seen.

Sirius was pleased that Harry was keeping up learning magic even though he had left Hogwarts. Currently he was working on a way to get his name cleared, and had appealed to the German government about his lack of trial. He realized that he was of no help to Harry as long as he was a wanted criminal and had buckled down to find a way to become a free man again. He realized that his temper was the main reason that Pettigrew had managed to get away from him, and he was ashamed of that because that was the reason he hadn't been there for Harry sooner. Now he was vowing to be more responsible and get himself off a different way.

Germany was the first one to pick up his appeal, and he was given asylum in Germany as the details were being worked on and the trial set up.

Harry wrote him a letter wishing him luck, while Astoria added on at the end that he should give them Pensieve memories, because that was considered viable evidence in Wizarding Germany. Plus, it was the strongest evidence on his side because they still didn't have Wormtail.

It was the first time she had sent something to Sirius and she was a little nervous about it. Harry assured her that Sirius would appreciate the input.

"I hope this works for him," Astoria fretted. "Azkaban is a truly wretched place."

"I think it will," Harry said with some confidence as he packed his trunk with a few gestures. Hedwig chirped happily from a corner. "After Grindelwald, Wizarding Germany put a lot of effort into reworking their judicial system so that no one like him would ever appear again. If there's a place where Sirius might be able to gain his freedom outside Britain, that's where it is."

"You think we should meet up with him if he's granted a trial and gets off?" Astoria suggested, as she shut her own trunk. "He'd be happy to see you."

"I'd like too," Harry responded, "But if Sirius manages to get off it will be one of the most highly publicized events of the last ten years, and it will be crawling with reporters and other media. It would be hard to get in without being found out. I'd rather we be able to finish our world tour."

"We could go in invisible," Astoria said thoughtfully. "Or later in the evening."

Harry smiled at her. "Let's keep that in mind. For now, let's get to Switzerland. I, for one, am really excited to see the alps."

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Harry and Astoria were holding hands as they stepped through the plates and back into the train station. They had just managed to duck past a large number of reporters and it had cost them some time to get to station.

"We better learn Apparate and get ourselves licences!" Astoria had laughed as they stumbled into the station. "That was close!"

"Apparate?" Harry repeated.

"It's a transportation spell, allows you to move quickly from one place to another." Astoria chuckled.

"That does sound useful." Harry laughed along with her. "Would have been nice to know that years ago! I really could have given Dudley the run around!"

They were a little bit late, so they jumped right onto their train five minutes before it was going to leave.

"I'll have to take you to dance sometime!" Astoria said brightly as they settled down in their compartment and the train began to move. "There are some wonderful ballrooms open to the public in Germany. You'd love it."

"I don't know Tori," Harry responded, his fingers twitching slightly on the desk. "I've never danced before, and I don't want to step on your toes."

"Oh, just try it Harry! For me?" Astoria said, turning her green eyes on him and making puppy dog eyes at him, causing him to laugh. "Really, once you've got some good music it's like you can't tell that time is passing."

"Alright," Harry said. "I'll try it out. But don't blame me if your feet are hurting like crazy afterwards because of my sloppy dance skills."

"That doesn't sound that bad at all," Astoria said with a smile, causing him to blush. She sat down next to him and put her head on his shoulder. "I think you sell yourself short sometimes Harry. You're a quick learner when it comes to magic."

"Magic is different from dancing. I'll probably make a fool out of myself." Harry said with a slight scowl. Astoria smiled slightly and nuzzled his shoulder slightly.

"Then we'll both look silly. People will think it's charming Harry. We are still teenagers, remember? It'll be fun. We can even look back and laugh at ourselves."

Harry smiled, his heart threatening to twist into knots. Yes, he was pretty sure he had strong feelings for Astoria by this point, though he dreaded confronting them. These kinds of things never went well for him once he had admitted to them. "Tori?"

"Yeah?" Astoria said.

"I know you said you didn't care for getting a romance by contract," Harry began delicately, "But did you ever think of marrying?"

Astoria's brow furrowed. "I thought about it, but I didn't think that a free marriage would be possible," She said. "I figured I would end up like Narcissa Malfoy, in a marriage of convenience. That's how things worked in pureblood society." Her hair trailed down Harry's back and shoulder, shifting slightly as the train raced down the rails away from Paris.

"Oh." Harry said, feeling slightly foolish."

"Don't get me wrong," Astoria said. "I'd like to have someone I could live my life with. But I hadn't met anyone at Hogwarts who would have been considered acceptable who was also kind and interested in the sorts of things I was. None of the purebloods really were."

Harry could see that. Granted, his best exposure to the pureblood heirs was Draco Malfoy, but if he was considered a standard for purebloods he doubted that many of the others were much better.

"Why do you ask?" Astoria asked curiously. "Did you have...anyone you thought you might like?"

"Well..." Harry hesitated, but he knew that Astoria had never jumped to conclusions when he told her something like the other people had, so he barrelled on. "When Hermione and I saved my godfather, I wondered if something more could come between us. She was the only girl I really knew besides Ginny, who could hardly talk to me because she blushed so much. I thought we might be able to make something work."

Astoria stirred slightly, and her grip on Harry's hand tightened. She remembered Granger, both insufferably smart and one of the first people to abandon Harry along with Ron Weasley when his name came out of the goblet. "Did she know about this?"

"I never told her directly," Harry admitted. "I was so used to having things go really wrong for me that I didn't tell her about it. Softened the blow of what happened to me this year, I guess. Probably would have been worse if I had told her. What she would have done with that..." he swallowed. There was something he didn't want to think about.

Astoria snorted. "It doesn't change that she abandoned you. I really would have expected better from someone as supposedly smart as Granger. Especially since she had you for a friend. I think any girl with a bit of sense would have been happy to have you." She hadn't really meant to say the last bit out loud, but she had been lost in thought and it had slipped out.

She sat up straight and blushed, looking sheepishly at her feet. Harry did the same, to her surprise, instead of looking at her like she had lost her sanity like she had half expected him to.

"For what it's worth, I think any guy would be lucky to have you too," Harry managed to say this without stammering, and was pleased with himself for it. "I mean, it's their loss that the other purebloods looked down on your personality. They're welcome to go and bore themselves to death by marrying other unpleasant people."

Astoria smiled. "I like you, Harry. I really do."

"Thanks Tori," Harry said, smiling back. Maybe he could ask her later, when they had reached Switzerland. Once he had finished collecting his Gryffindor courage.

When they went to sleep in that bunk, neither of them noticed the close quarters.

**Back In Britain, a few days later**

"Freaks! My husband and son, freaks! How could I not have seen this? It's my worthless sister's revenge for me not being at her and her freak husband's wedding, understand? I won't have it! I won't!"

The two young police officers charged with watching over Petunia Dursley exchanged long suffering looks. They wished they could have gagged their charge, or at least stood in the other room while she ranted on. "No promotion is worth this!" The younger of the two complained. The elder nodded in pained agreement.

Little Whining, usually a boringly ordinary town, was lined with police vehicles and fire trucks. Tape was set up and the neighbours could only watch the scene unfolding before them in dumbfounded shock and confusion. Certainly, it was understandable. The Dursleys were, on the outside, a perfect example of the middle-class family. Perfectly ordinary in every way. What had transpired over the last few days had proved to be anything but.

Strange things started happening around the house – and the results of these strange things became immediately obvious. Vernon and Dudley, once freakishly overweight, were slimming down fast, despite pouring on more and more food then usual. Vernon had gotten fired from work after demanding a promotion he'd figured he had earned the very next day. He had applied for almost every job around their area, and for some reason none of them would take him, citing 'inability to work peacefully' as their reasons for rejecting him.

Then on the third morning, Petunia walked into the dining room to see Dudley apparently transform a carrot into a stick of chocolate. The boy seemed very pleased with himself, since he had been put on a diet. But his mother evidently didn't share the sentiment. In fact, she had the exact opposite reaction.

She went off on an explosive tirade, screaming that her only child was a freak, a magical monster and tainted by her younger sister. Dudley had been in shock, but when he tried to hit her with his Smelting stick for shouting at him, she turned his chair over dumping him on the floor. Vernon had come downstairs when he heard this, causing Petunia to shut the door and throw a plate at her once overweight son, screaming that this was no child of hers and that the abomination had to go. Vernon then seemingly made the door between him and kitchen disappear, causing Petunia to scream louder and start throwing plates at him.

"I've been surrounded by freaks this entire time! My sister paid you to do this didn't she? She put you up to this to make a fool out of me! She was always out to get me after she got those freaky powers and this is what I get for being the one to see her for what she is!"

No one knew exactly what Petunia was going on about, only her close friends knew that she had had an younger sister who she had cut ties with a long time ago. But what the 'freak' thing meant – well, that was lost on everyone else.

Enraged, Vernon had attacked Petunia with the first thing he had gotten his hands on – the frying pan on the stove. He smashed it against her temple with violent force and knocked her out.

A woman living nearby – Arabella Figg – had heard all the ruckus and called 911. Had she walked by any later and Vernon probably would have killed his wife.

The police arrived in time to restrain Vernon, who was still in a rage, and an ambulance arrived minutes later to take care of Petunia and Dudley. The kitchen had been turned into a battlefield and was completely wrecked by the time they had gotten there. The young bully had been hurt by the glass and the plates while Petunia was concussed.

A few hours later, Petunia had come to, but the minute she regained consciousness she went straight back to ranting and raving though her explanation of what had happened in the house that night.

The police seriously considered dumping the woman in a psychiatric hospital, or perhaps into a cell next to Vernon, but it was eventually agreed upon that she had been fooled into a marriage and attacked by her husband.

The court saw the case through in record time – especially when it was revealed that Vernon and Dudley had sometimes violently abused Petunia's currently missing nephew Harry Potter, which included leaving him in the cupboard under the stairs for days to beating him up. Dudley was sent to Juvenile Hall for a spell, upon his release he would go to an orphanage for troubled children, because Petunia had refused to acknowledge him as her son. Everything went to Petunia Evans, as Vernon was thrown in jail.

The neighbors were at a loss to understand the change, but eventually they decided that they had clearly not known the Dursleys as well as they thought they had, especially when the news about Petunia's abused nephew came to light. It was all over the newspapers and some people were now thinking more carefully about how they had treated the boy before. Many were ashamed.

What none of them noticed was a small elf popping away after pointing his finger at Petunia and whispering one more spell.

**At the Ministry**

Dumbledore majestically swept into Fudge's office. "You asked for me, Minister?" He asked simply, he always spoke in simple terms when he was dealing with Cornelius Fudge. The man really didn't understand any others.

Amelia Bones was standing next to the man, tight-lipped. Cornelius glared up at Dumbledore and said, "Dumbledore, my voters are demanding answers! Why didn't you figure out that the Dursleys were abusive to Harry Potter?"

"What?" Dumbledore said, shocked. He had been so certain that he had put a lid on that. What had happened? "What on earth do you mean Cornelius?"

Amelia Bones gave Dumbledore a humorless look. "Dumbledore, I just received a memory from Astoria Greengrass via an anonymous source that has Harry richly detail how badly the Dursleys had treated him. So either you'd have me believe that your blind or willingly stupid, neither of which is going to bode very well for you in front of a court. You said that as Potter's magical guardian you would put every effort into his upkeeping and wellfare, and obviously neither of these things have happened."

She paused and then said, "Frankly some of the other things he's said about Hogwarts aren't looking good for you either."

"You got this memory from Astoria Greengrass?" Dumbledore said sharply. She was the girl Harry had run off with. Why would he pick her? He would have told Harry in no uncertain terms that Astoria was not a suitable choice for him! A pureblood girl from a neutral family, bah. Certainly not for an heir of Dumbledore. He had already decided on someone for him. "Have you found them, then?"

"No." Fudge said flatly. "The memory was delivered by a house elf who refused to disclose where the two of them are. Orders from his master, which as you know a house elf cannot defy."

"You didn't stop it?" Dumbledore asked incredulously.

"That's not the question right now!" Fudge snapped. He thought it was high time that someone brought Dumbledore down off the pedestal that everyone had put him up on. Then perhaps people would start turning to their actual Minister for solutions to their problems. "The question is Harry's placement at the Dursleys. Clearly you are not an adequate magical guardian for the boy because he's come to so much harm at that house."

"But please, Cornelius! You would condemn me on the words of a young pureblood girl?" Dumbledore said in his usual grandfather voice. "You know pureblood politics. She's likely forged this so she can have an opening to seduce poor Harry. I'm willing to wager she's the reason he ran away from the castle."

"Dumbledore, this is a memory. Someone as young as Astoria Greengrass does not have the power to forge memories!" Amelia snapped, the revelation of how cold Susan had been to someone she should have been friendly towards let alone a member of a house they were allies with had been weighing quite heavily on her shoulders and she had no time for Dumbledore's word and misdirection games right now. "Besides, have you seen what's on the muggle news? Those muggles almost murdered each other not fifteen hours ago."

"What?" Dumbledore nearly rocked back on his heels, this was new information. Why hadn't Figg contacted him, if something that bad had happened? He thought he had compelled The Dursleys to direct all their animosity towards Harry. If that had happened, it was a clear sign that something had slipped in his neatly made web, and he had to do something about it.

"Yes. They're clearly a very unbalanced bunch, and _I'll wager _that _that _is part of the reason Harry ran away from Hogwarts. The _other _part being the way your students and your teachers have treated him. I understand the Tournament has been cancelled?"

"You insisted," Dumbledore responded heavily. Her along with the Ministry individuals from the other schools. It had been a blow to Hogwart's public image that he was struggling to seal up. It would only truly close once he had the boy-who-lived back within its walls. He would put love potions in that boy's drink to keep him back in that school and with the girl of his choosing once he found the lad. Where hadn't he checked.

"Obviously we should have stepped in sooner," Amelia said bitterly. "I hope Harry Potter has come to no more harm then he already has."

"Minister?" Kingsley walked into the room with an international newspaper in hand, looking grave once again.

"What is it Kingsley?" Cornelius said impatiently. "Can you not see that we're in an important conversation right now concerning Harry Potter?"

"It's about that. And Sirius Black." Kingsley said.

"What? Have you seen Black?" Cornelius demanded. It would be a huge boon for his office if they were the ones who finally brought in Black.

Kingsley said nothing at this point. He placed the newspaper on the table.

_**Sirius Black Innocent? Injustices Revealed! Black Heir never received a trial! **_

_**Sirius Black to receive a trial before the German Ministry!**_

**End Chapter**

**Yes, the official Harry/Astoria trigger will be pulled soon. Also, yes for Sirius getting a trial! I do like Sirius as a character, and I also think Remus got wasted in the last book. Anyhow, there will be a little from the students of Hogwarts and Astoria's father next chapter, as well as our first look at Wizarding Switzerland! I know we didn't spend long in Paris, but it was kind of a pitstop before their journey kicked off in my head anyway. **

**Read and Review please! :)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Finding a Place to Call Home**

**Moon: Welcome back! Sorry for the wait, but I had a couple things to do. Happy New Year everyone! Let's hope 2014's a good one. Anyway, here's the next chapter and finally, the confession! I do not own Harry Potter. **

**Chapter 5: Nightmares and Mind Magic**

_Harry was walking down a dark isle, dull pain throbbing in his forehead. Glowing spheres surrounded him, row by row, like a Divination teacher's supermarket. There was no other light, and the hall was completely deserted as far as Harry could see. He didn't recognize this place, but something in his head told him that he was in a lower area of the Department of Ministries. Something in his gut, however, told him that there were other people here. _

_Just coming here was dangerous. Fear was building up in his throat, although he wasn't sure why. His footsteps were staggered, as though he were walking on marionette strings. _

_He was dreaming, that much Harry was sure of. It was, in many ways, similar to the nightmare he had during the summer of the man in Riddle's house. The same feeling of confusion and dread was building up in his chest._

_A scream sounded from deeper in the hallway. A familiar one._

"_Harry! Harry!" _

_It was Sirius. He was screaming in pain, so much pain,, and then Harry heard the laughter. He would know it anywhere, because it had haunted him ever since the death of his parents. It was Lord Voldemort, and he was torturing Sirius. _

"_Harry!" _

"_Die, mongrel." _

_A horrible pain burst in Harry's head, burning like the stove when Petunia had pressed his hand against it, he had to get to Sirius but there was so much pain everywhere and he didn't know what was going on-_

"Harry!" Someone was shaking him.

Harry jerked up in his seat and nearly hit Astoria, who was sitting right in front of him on the train's bed. The blonde squeaked in surprise and ducked, sliding to one side out of the way.

Harry's breath was shaking, his fingers clenching and unclenching, the cold nails driving into the palm of his hand. He forced himself to relax. He wasn't in a cold hallway, he was on the train with his friend. Voldemort was far away from him, and even if he was nearby he didn't have the strength to hurt anyone.

"I'm sorry Tori," he murmured distractedly. "Are you alright?"

"Me? What about you?" Astoria asked shakily, pushing herself into a sitting position. Her green eyes were wide with worry. "You started moaning and thrashing, like you were having a fit or something. I tried to wake you, but you wouldn't respond for the longest time..."

Harry ran his fingers through his messy hair, taking a deep stabilizing breath. This wasn't the first time this had happened. He hadn't told anyone but Ron and Hermione about his nightmares because he didn't want to give the impression that he was weak. He knew now that Astoria wouldn't think any less of him for it. Plus, the contents of his dream worried him greatly. "It was a nightmare." He said. "About Voldemort. I've had them before."

"You have?" Astoria whispered, sliding a little closer and wrapping her arms around Harry's shoulders. She had taken to touching him reassuringly whenever she thought he was emotionally stressed out. Harry welcomed the gesture and her warmth.

"Yeah. They didn't really get bad until this year...until after Wormtail escaped. During the summer I had a dream about Voldemort killing an old man. I don't know who or where. But I can't shake this feeling that its something that actually happened."

"They're different from usual dreams. How?"

"You can tell?"

"Harry, I could feel magic rolling off you. Even normal nightmares don't usually provoke a response like that...and something about it feels wrong, forced somehow." Astoria responded, sounding pensive.

"Forced? You can do that?" Harry questioned.

"There's a branch of magic that deals explicitly with the mind," Astoria responded. "Mental magic. Its difficult to master...few people use it...and a lot of it is forbidden because it can be abused so easily and the effects are long term."

"Great," Harry muttered.

"I wondered if V-Voldemort," she tripped over the syllables, the blonde was still adjusting to saying Riddle's chosen name, "left traces of something when he tried to kill you back then."

Harry grimaced, "thanks for putting that thought in my head. Now I need to shower. Repeatedly."

"Can you tell me about the dream?" Astoria asked. Harry nodded and then explained everything that he had seen, up to the pain in his head.

Astoria frowned when he finished. "But Harry, Sirius is in Germany right now. And V-Voldemort is a barely living _thing _in a shack out in the wilderness. He can't have caught Sirius."

Harry let out his breath. In the panic that the dream had brought on, he had almost forgotten that. "R-Right. Of course."

But after he thought about that for a second, something more disturbing occurred to him. "He can send me dreams?" He muttered. "Is that even possible?"

Astoria put her hand on top of Harry's, her fingers brushing against his. Her brow was creased slightly, as she was in deep thought. "It's highly irregular," she said eventually. "We all know that V-Voldemort turned to some of the darkest magic in existence...but I can't imagine...there are a few spells that affect the subconsciousness while you dream...but they wouldn't have been anything he would have thought useful..."

Harry reached up and rubbed his scar. "It's mental magic of some kind," He decided, remembering text from some of the books he had read back in France. "What I don't understand is how? How could Voldemort do this to me if he's been so weak for so long?"

Astoria bit her lip. "Maybe it was part of the scar all along. From the day he tried to kill you.

"Hell...is that even possible?"

Astoria nodded. "I think..." She paused. "I think we should take you to see someone."

Harry frowned. "Are you sure that's a good idea? I can't imagine going into a doctor's office without people asking questions we can't answer."

"If you ask for confidentiality as the last Potter heir, it probably won't matter," Astoria said thoughtfully, "I know you don't care for it but your position does have some perks out in the world. But your problem with these dreams is real and beyond anything I can do to help it."

Harry leaned back against the wall. They were headed over the mountains into Switzerland, and the scenery would have been a spectacular viewing if he had felt inclined to watch it. But the dull throbbing pain in his head and his current situation distracted him.

He could count on his fingers the number of times he had gone to a psychiatrist or a hospital outside of the number of times Poppy had had to treat him at school. The Dursleys would have been hard pressed to give him anything to ease his pain unless he required intensive care. And anyone who had been willing to treat him had been in Vernon's pocket, meaning that they would give him no assistance outside of their jobs.

Coupling those experiences with what happened at Hogwarts during the Tournament left Harry with a very dim view of most authority figures. They were corrupt and manipulative and he'd be better off taking care of himself. Hadn't he and Tori just run away from the only thing they had that resembled a home just to get away from it all?

A bitter feeling welled up in his stomach. He'd always had to take care of himself, because no one thought him worthy of it outside of his mother, who had left his life so long ago. He had protected others because the teachers couldn't have been bothered to evacuate the school, leaving him as the only one prepared to save a comatose girl from a dangerous monster.

He'd felt lonely. So lonely, all the time. Until Tori had approached him and rescued him and given him new, warm feelings to wash away the pain of his earlier years. He didn't need the teachers that had tormented him or the friends that had turned their backs on him! He would get along just fine on his own.

But Harry couldn't deny that he didn't understand exactly what was going on inside his head, and it was beginning to frighten him. He had to do something about it and he wasn't sure where to start or what to do. Astoria touched his cheek with her slender fingers and watched him.

"It'll be alright, Harry," She said, as if she could read his thoughts. "We're in Switzerland. We're far away from Dumbledore, and he has no power in a neutral country. He won't think to look for us here anyway. The people here will be able to give you the help you need without bias."

Harry smiled at her. "Thank you Tori. Still getting used to that," He said.

Astoria scowled, as she always did when he said something that made her think about the Dursleys or the teachers back at Hogwarts. It made her green eyes harden like cold, cut emeralds. Harry couldn't help but think about her brainwashed sister, Daphne Greengrass, whenever she looked like that. That had pretty much become Daphne's default expression at the start of second year; she had seemed more uncertain before that but Pansy's influence had (mostly?) solidified her attitude.

Remembering what Astoria had told him about her faimly, Harry wondered if there was a time when Daphne was more like her younger sister – warm, friendly and full of life. The image wouldn't quite form in his head as he equated it with the cold girl he was familiar with.

"It shouldn't have been like that," Astoria muttered darkly.

"Well, it was," Harry said, reaching out and brushing a few stray strands of her golden hair away from her eyes. "And it isn't anymore, thanks to you. Are we at Switzerland yet?"

Astoria blushed and seemed relieved for the change of subject. "Yes. Just another twenty minutes."

"Great. I was starting to get bored of Science," Harry said, putting his hand on the large textbook on the beside table.

Astoria pouted. "Don't remind me. Just thinking about it makes my head hurt!"

"I did warn you," Harry said, laughing when Astoria pushed his shoulder in mock indignation.

Considering the real possibility that he would have to move back into the muggle world to avoid Dumbledore and those looking for him, Harry had decided that there was no better time then now to catch up on the muggle curriculum. Astoria's curiosity had gotten the better of her and she decided to join him.

Currently they were struggling through sixth grade science. Astoria had complained that wandless transfiguration was easier then this.

**Within Magical Switzerland **

Magical Switzerland seemed a bit more...grounded then Magical France, for lack of a better term.

Harry and Astoria were walking down a cobblestone street through the strait roads of the city. Carts and cars floated and warped from one place to another. The atmosphere of the city seemed more relaxed, as if there was nothing out there that they found troubling. Astoria had explained to him after they had taken their trunks of the train and started walking that Magical Switzerland had been a neutral country since almost the time it had been created, for longer then its muggle counterpart. This was a smart move, because it was one of three places that managed to stay untouched in the first and only magical world war.

"I didn't know that there had been a world-wide war between the magical communities." Harry said, surprised once again at how little he knew about the world.

"There was only one, just two decades after the muggles went at it for the first time." Astoria said. "It was a such a mess. The world barely recovered. It's taken decades to repair all the damage done, and most people are just trying to forget it ever happened, especially because Grindelwald came right on its heels. Magical Germany was a mess for the longest time because of it. I understand that the muggles call the time the Great Depression."

"Yeah," Harry said. He tried to imagine wizards doing a full-scale war like the first and second ones. The idea was almost too terrifying to comprehend.

"There's a reason there are laws in tact now that are supposed to mediate how much magic wizards are allowed to do." Astoria said. "During that war, the secrecy of the wizarding world was almost blown open. They had to do so many alternations in the eyes of the muggles...hurricanes, gas leaks, things like that...and even that didn't cover everything. That's why the Minister of Magic interacts with his or her muggle counterpart now."

"I wondered about that," Harry said. "Considering how little most wizards seem to think of muggles I wondered why they bothered at all."

Astoria tilted her head in agreement.

Switzerland certainly had the shape and feel of a safe house, Harry decided after long. It was a feeling in the air as you walked down the streets. Probably part of the reason everyone else seemed so relaxed. It was considered a haven to those who were escaping unjust laws and dictations from their homelands, because Switzerland's neutrality protected it from political standoffs. Unfortunately, this went both ways; the Minister of Magic here had rooted out several Grindelwald and later Voldemort supporters who had come here to hide when their masters fell years after the fact.

Blood purity didn't mean very much in this country, outside of a few benefits her and there. Some wizards were even walking around in muggle clothes, cats and dogs running across the streets with children chasing them. Astoria paused at a tourist box and began searching through the pamflets and flyers, and Harry took the moment simply to look around.

Hedwig chirped and flew around Harry's head, causing him to chuckle. "At least someone's having fun," He said teasingly. His familiar chirped at him before flying in the direction of the prepaid hotel.

"I think I've found someone who can help us with our problem," Astoria announced. Harry blinked, drawn back to the present. Astoria was holding a flyer.

"Doctor Branstone, Physical and Mental Healer." Harry read aloud, before blinking. "That name sounds vaguely familiar..."

Astoria nodded. "I think there was a Branstone sorted at Hogwarts this year. But it might just be a coincidence."

"It couldn't hurt, I guess."

**Safferon Hospital**

"Heir Potter, your confidentiality is assured." Andrea Branstone said. Her tone was polite and official, but there was a spark in her hazel eyes reminiscent of Fred and George that suggested a strong sense of humour. Her caramel colored hair was pulled back in a bun for work. She was wearing a white shirt and dark pants, flat black shoes clicking on the tiled floor of the hospital. She was fair skinned and had an elfish face.

"Thank you," Harry said.

"Can you tell me when your last visit to the hospital was?" Doctor Branstone asked, turning a page on her clipboard.

"The end of last school year at Hogwarts." Harry said.

He had been surprised at how easily this was going, and how friendly his doctor was. They hadn't been walking for long before they found the nearest hospital. Harry had been fairly nervous as he tried to properly recite the instructions that Astoria had told him about beforehand, but to his surprise the secretary accepted it without question. _It must be one of the upsides of being considered noble, _Harry thought. He didn't imagine things going that easily for Hermione or another muggleborn.

Andrea Branstone had been waiting for him inside the examination room. She told him that it wouldn't take long. Astoria was sitting outside in the hallway, waiting for him to finish. "I had a bit of an altercation with something dangerous." Harry added.

"Dementors," Andrea snorted. "Hogwarts is going to become the laughingstock of the magical world if it keeps up like this. It's already halfway there after that spectacular mess they made out of the Tri-Wizard Tournament. I wish David would be willing to listen to my letters." She cast a disagnostic spell over Harry, who was lying on his back on the table.

"You've caused quite a stir by disappearing Mr Potter," She said. Harry tensed, but her tone was light and caused him to relax. "My daughter was quite put out by this whole fiasco. She would have liked to meet you."

"Her name's Eleanor, right?" Harry said, the vague image of a girl who looked like Andrea sitting on the chair with the hat, getting sorted.

"Yes." Andrea said, waving her hands. Harry felt warm and tingly as a wave of golden light passed over his body. His fingers felt warm and his breathing less laboured. His muscles relaxed. _This must be a healing trance, _he realized.

Harry watched as Andrea flitted back and forth around him, before stopping at his head. She put her fingertip on his scar and said, "Harry, I'm sorry but I'm going to need to put you out to deal with this."

A surge of uneasiness swept through Harry. "What exactly is in there?"

"Your partially possessed, Harry. I can get it out but it requires a careful hand."

"Oh, hell. Of course! Please, just get rid of it."

%&%&%&&%&%&%&%&%&%&

Harry wasn't aware of time as he floated in the darkness of unconsciousness. But he could tell when something changed. It was like the darkness around him was lifting slightly, and he heard something scream in anger. The sensation of two tightly gripping hands being removed from the sides of his head sent a shiver of pain and disgust through him, but it was over quickly.

Slowly he opened his eyes, feeling oddly cleansed, and saw Astoria hanging over his bedside. Doctor Branstone was standing right behind her, holding a crystal in one hand and looking pleased with herself.

Astoria leaned over and hugged Harry. "I was getting worried," She said. "They were taking so long."

"It's fine, Tori," Harry said with a smile, pushing himself into a sitting position. Astoria let go and he turned his attention to Andrea Branstone. "Thank you, Healer Branstone," He said formally. More naturally he asked, "What exactly was it?"

Andrea held up the crystal, where a small black gooey looking shadow was milling around, trying to find its way out. "It was extremely stubborn, very stuck," Andrea said. "But it's out now. It seemed to have been leeching on your magic, so you should be a bit stronger now. There doesn't seem to be any long-term damage caused by it. All in all, you're extremely lucky Mr. Potter. Any longer and who knows what might have happened."

Harry shrugged. "I was constantly told that they were just headaches." He said. "I would have gone to a Healer soon if I had known what it was. Thank you, again."

%%&%&%&%&%&%&%&%&%&%&&

"Sirius's trial has a date," Harry told Astoria happily. He gently ruffled Hedwig's feathers and placed a dish of water and food in front of her, turning his godfather's latest letter over in his hands. Sirius had been in quite good cheer when he had written it. "It's two weeks from now."

"That's wonderful," Astoria cheered. "Does he have any details?"

"Yes." Harrry chuckled. "His defence attorney and the private investigator he hired have looked into the events that got him accused and apparently they're really not happy with what they've found. The ICW is turning a disapproving eye on Fudge and his administration because they have denied people trials. Dumbledore's tried to obstruct them a few times but that's gotten him in a good deal of trouble, apparently."

"Oooh, do tell," Astoria said eagerly. She was sitting at the edge of her bed, kicking her feet, her wild hair out of her braids again.

"Sirius's attorney, her name's Jane Pritchard, has charged him with obstruction of justice." Harry said, smirking. Astoria laughed out loud, green eyes gleaming. "She helped Cornelius Fudge start a movement to get him removed as Supreme Mugwump of the ICW because he was clearly abusing the post to his own ends. The people in Britain have protested on the grounds that he's 'the great Albus Dumbledore' but apparently Dumbledore's overseas reputation has taken a big hit with the Tri-Wizard Tournament fiasco, so not very many people are agreeing with them. Apparently there was an investigation into some of the 'irregularity' over the past twenty years and at the end of it Dumbledore was 'politely' asked to resign with his dignity in tact."

"They must have found out about the Dursleys and about his little habit of just letting dangerous situations at the school continue." Astoria remarked. "Pity they didn't decide to put that on the international post."

"Sirius says, 'in good time'," Harry read aloud, stepping back and sitting down next to Astoria. "Apparently he also got a letter from your father."

Astoria stiffened. "He did?" She said nervously.

"Yeah. Says that he wanted to send it straight to you but his owl couldn't find you. He heard Sirius was getting a trial and that he was my godfather so he sent it to him by proxy."

"What did he say?" Astoria murmured, watching Harry with wide eyes.

Harry squinted at the printing for a second before smiling and saying, "Well, according to Sirius he says that your dad said that he understands why you left," He began. Astoria smiled, a bit teary, she had been sure her father wouldn't forgive her for running off. "And he misses you. So does Daphne. He meant to blend in to pureblood high society to protect the only family he had left, not to loose them to prejudice and hate. He wants you to come home."

He squinted again and did a double take. "And apparently he's under the impression that we've _eloped_, because he's offering to establish a contract since Sirius will be my magical guardian once he's cleared."

Astoria let out a squeak and blushed fiercely. "But – I don't – I'm not sure – I mean, it's a bit early for that, isn't it? I mean! Oh, Merlin" Overcome with embarrassment, she buried her face in her hands and groaned.

Harry looked over at her, and decided that this was the moment where he would ask. "Would you mind that terribly?" He asked as casually as he could muster.

"What?" Astoria squeaked out.

"Marrying me, sometime in the future."

Once the words were out, Harry almost wanted to take them back, but it was too late. Now he was staring at his shoes while Astoria stared at him.

"Y-you'd ask me?" Astoria managed. "Me? You like me that much?"

"You," Harry pronounced the words very carefully to avoid deteriorating into babbling and gibberish, which was extremely tempting. "are different from anyone I've ever known. You've given me support that I never got from anyone, not even my two _best _friends. I'm not sure exactly when I started feeling this way about you, but it was probably when I realized that you saved me by running away with me, despite anything that might happen. It got stronger the more I got to know you."

Astoria blinked, her hands clenching together. She was hearing Harry's words...she just wasn't quite sure she was understanding them. "Y-You really think so?"

"Yes," Harry said, finally getting up the courage to meet her eyes with his own green ones. "I do...care a great deal about you Tori. I admit I don't know much about love, you'll have to be patient with me. But I'm feeling...now, something I thought I was starting to feel for Hermione a lifetime ago."

He paused and then waited, Astoria's eyes were still wide but there was a dawning look on her face and she smiled. "I really liked you from the start Harry. I really started thinking about it when you asked me about marriage contracts just after we left France."

Harry blushed. "I wanted to know what your opinion was and how you'd go about it. I wanted to ask you then but I lost my nerve."

Astoria laughed, relaxing a bit and smiling warmly at Harry in a way that only she could. It still gave Harry butterflies in his chest. "A noble Heir, asking his intended's opinion on love and marriage. Completely unorthodox, unheard of, but your Harry Potter. That would be just like you, wouldn't it? You have so much that you could do for other people and yet you choose to let the people around you choose for themselves."

Harry shook his head and smiled. "I'm just a simple orphan."

Astoria's eyes misted slightly. "Not at all."

They sat there in silence for a moment before Astoria leaned over and kissed him. This time Harry didn't flinch, it had taken him a long time to adjust to accepting affectionate gestures. Harry gently slid his arms around her small frame and stroked her blonde hair.

Harry wasn't sure how long they stayed like that but eventually they broke apart. Astoria was smiling contently and resting her head on his shoulder. One of her hands was clasped in his. Harry's chin was resting in her hair; she murmured "has Sirius have anything else to report?"

Harry remembered that he hadn't quite finished reading Sirius's letter yet. He looked down at it and found where he had left out. Once he'd read a little he smiled again; it was the most he had done for as long as he could remember and it was like removing weights from his shoulders, one at a time. "I was right before, Remus is with him, and he's taken up a job as a local Auror."

"I liked Professor Lupin. He was the best defence teacher we had," Astoria said. "It's too bad that he had to resign." She shifted slightly in Harry's arms. "Do they know he's a werewolf?" She asked in concern.

"Yes," Harry said with a grin. "Doesn't mean a damn thing to them, now that he has wolfsbane to keep him sane during the nights of his transformation. Apparently in Germany this is considered a disability as opposed to making him a dark creature, so he gets compensation or it too for the days when he can't work. Good payment, friendly colleges. Remus is having a really good time. If this keeps up, he might even start talking to witches." They both got a good chuckle out of that.

"That's nice." Astoria said. "Professor Lupin could use more money. Though I have to wonder why Britain hasn't adopted those policies."

Harry snorted. "And stop oppressing and abusing people they consider below them? Really Tori, you should know purebloods better then I do,"

Astoria snorted. "Unfortunately for me, I do. I know far more then I'd like to. It's called a rhetorical question, silly."

Harry carefully folded up Sirius's letter and said, "I think I'm going to start learning Occlumeny next. There's nothing in my head anymore but I don't like the idea of leaving my mind ungarded now."

Astoria nodded. "I have decent mental shields," She said. "I can help you out."

"Thanks Tori."

**Back In Britain**

Hermione Granger was staring at the copy of the Daily Prophet in her hands, tears stinging at the edges of her eyes. The dress she had meant to wear to the Yule Ball before the Tri Wizard Tournament was cancelled sat forlornly on her bed, reflecting her mood quite handily. The Headline _**Sirius Black's trial will be held two weeks from now, Albus Dumbledore resigns from the International Confederation of Wizards in Disgrace**_stared back at her like an accusation. Even though she'd already absorbed all the information, ultimately at the end of the day she ended up reading the newspaper once again.

Dumbledore had been her idol ever since she entered the wizarding world. When he told her to stop interacting with Harry and to report the things he did to him, Hermione had been willing to do so, despite part of her that was nagging that she shouldn't do this to her first best friend. Dumbledore always seemed so in control, and with the pureblood wannabes bearing down on her it seemed like he had all the solutions that she would need for later in life. All she had to do was follow his instructions to the letter.

His getting removed from the ICW in disgrace, following Harry's disappearance from the school, was like a slap in the face following the one she had already received. The quotes from Sirius's prosecutor rang in her ears, _"he's clearly using his status as international wizard to his own benefit. It didn't matter to him that there was an innocent person in jail. It also didn't matter to him that he was consistently putting the children in the school in mortal danger on various occasions by either ignoring the very clear dangers within the school or refusing to evacuate for reasons that are not clear at this time, for the sake of...what? His ego?"_

Hermione drew her legs up onto the chair she'd been sitting on, her orderly world now in chaos. She hadn't believed this arcticle when it first came out, she would have thought it was a supporter of Voldemort or Fudge behind this if Sirius's name hadn't been in the headline.

Instead she was given the stone cold fact that Dumbledore had done something wrong. Terribly wrong.

Not long after Harry had left the school, Hermione had begun to realize that people mostly tolerated her and Ron's prominence in the school because they were friend with him. And now that he was gone, and people were becoming ashamed of the way they had bullied him, most people were avoiding her or sending her spiteful glares at the best of times when she entered the hallway.

Her encounter with Daphne Greengrass in the hallway earlier that day had made that much perfectly clear to her.

She had stopped Daphne in the hall by cutting off the doorway and asked her if she had heard anything from her sister. The more she thought about the Slytherin girl being with Harry at all times, the most upset she got, and it must have leaked into her tone.

Daphne had stared at her for a second before raising one hand and slapping Hermione, hard, across the face. Hermione had stumbled backwards, blinking in pain.

Daphne fixed her with her famous ice princess glare and said, "How dare you ask me that?"

Hermione's cheek stung and she stared at Daphne. "What?"

"If I had thought you were actually worried about your friend, I would have answered that. But it's perfectly clear that you never cared, that you want him for your own selfish reasons." Daphne's fists clenched, she looked very unlike herself.

Daphne seldom showed much emotion at all outside of her dorm, much less anger. Few people other then Draco had directed such clear scornful fury at Hermione like she was now, perhaps that was another thing Harry's friendship had protected her from.

"You're acting innocent, but I've caught onto your act by now. You're not worried about Tori's disappearance, you want to know if she and Harry have really eloped. Am I right _Granger_?" Daphne asked curtly.

"That's not true," Hermione argued, pressing a hand against her stinging cheek. "I'm sorry about what happened and I want to know where he is."

"No, your not. You're not stupid Granger, you've gone out of your way to prove that over the years. Are you actually going to say to my face that you don't understand how he was treated? That you were taking advantage of his vulnerability and his need for friends because he'd never had any before?"

"W-What? What are you talking about? Harry was shy but he was a normal boy." Hermione argued.

Daphne's green eyes narrowed. "Going to play dumb? Don't insult my intelligence, Granger. Anyone who's looking – really looking – can tell that those muggles that Harry was living with abused him badly. I figured that out a month into my first year, and you're expecting me to believe that 'the smartest witch since Rowena Ravenclaw' can't tell? Even after the uncle's abuse became front page news in the muggle papers?"

Hermione's jaw dropped and she stepped back a bit. "But I was always his friend," She stammered. "It was just a stupid manliness thing."

"you really didn't know him at all did you? And you still think that you haven't done anything wrong, that this is just Harry overreacting, and that it was just a little mistake?" Daphne said scornfully.

"Just a mistake," Hermione argued, starting to get angry, "Like the one you made, right?"

"At least I realized that my stupid insistence of acting like Pansy Parkinson scared my sister, that I wasn't there for her because of it, and that it was pressuring her to be something she wasn't. I regret that and I'm going to be living with it until I see her again!" Daphne snarled. Her hand tightened on her wand and Hermione mentally prepared herself to get defensive. It would be just like a Slytherin to make her point with a hex.

Daphne gave Hermione a hard glare full of contempt, pointedly putting her wand away. "But you, your best friend leaves you after you manipulate him for four years and your only concern is that he might be considering romancing a girl other then you. He was so alone and bullied that he decided to run away, and you're making it all about you."

Tears stung the edges of Hermione's eyes. "I felt something change between us last year, I thought that he felt the same way. I just didn't want to get alienated again."

"So your admitting that you set your own concerns over someone you claim to care about," Daphne said coldly.

"But I'm sorry! Where is he? Don't you know?"

"If I had to guess, I'd say he's hiding in a place where he can wait until Sirius has been cleared." Daphne said coolly. "Then he'll join his godfather, and if he has any sense at all, he won't be coming back here. If he and Astoria have eloped, and Merlin willing Tori decides to forgive me and father, we'll be joining them. Do you understand that? You think you can just say '_oh, I'm so dreadfully sorry, be my friend again?'_ and he'll just forget the way the Gryffindors treated him?"

Hermione stumbled backwards a bit. She understood that perfectly well. Harry would never want to see her again. She'd betrayed the fragile trust he'd been building up after years of being completely alone and unwanted. She would be replaced by Daphne's sister in his life.

"His redhaired stalker understands that better then you, and you were a closer friend of his," Daphne said mockingly. Hermione remembered Ginny hexing Ron in the hallways and closed her eyes tightly. "Don't wait up, Granger." She pushed her way past Hermione and headed for her next class.

Hermione stood rooted to the spot in the hallway, when a few Hufflepuffs laughed at her, at which point she ran off in tears.

Hermione sighed and came out of the memory, the newspaper still in her hands. Daphne had been right on multiple levels. Gryffindor had suffered a sharp drop ever since Harry had run away. Without their star seeker, and with Oliver Wood having graduated last year, the team was steadily loosing matches. Ron had tried out, intending to take Harry's place but he had failed quite badly. The House Cup was going to the Slytherins this year for certain. They were no longer considered the strongest house because they had abandoned one of their own.

I never should have listened to Dumbledore, Hermione thought sadly. From now on, I will make my own decisions. I won't listen to the authority that makes me turn my back on what is right. I should write to my parents. There must be a magical school that I could transfer too.

Having decided that, Hermione pushed herself to her feet and walked towards the owlery. Ron tried to get her attention but she ignored him, he was the other main reason she had abandoned Harry. This place was corrupting her, and she had to leave before it consumed her entirely.

Dumbledore was in a quandary of his own. He had lost his position at the ICW. He was disgraced in the eyes of the other nations. Sirius was getting a trial and questions about the man and his godson were being asked that he was no longer in a position to divert answers from. This was not the way he wanted things to go! If there was going to be a wizard more powerful then him, he would go down in history as the boy's mentor and father figure who gave him the power and the knowledge needed to strike down the enemy. But how could he turn this around?

Severus seemed to think that the situation was out of Dumbledore's hands, and he was cooperating with that Pritchard woman to give information about Harry's school days. Dumbledore had threatened to expose him but Severus had simply said that he owed it to Lily, and time in Azkaban was worth that – he, at least, had committed crimes that he had come to regret, unlike Black who'd been left to the dogs.

Apparently Pritchard was in talks with Amelia Bones regarding Harry, Sirius and Severus. He never should have accepted that woman's son into Hogwarts. The boy had learned too much.

Dumbledore decided that it was time for him to talk to the newspapers. That way he could start on getting this PR nightmare turned around. He just needed a scapegoat for Sirius's imprisonment...Barty Crouch would do well for that.

**End Chapter**

**I promise a lot more Harrry/Astoria fluff next chapter. Hermione comes to an important realization and she'll be transferring to get to a better part of her life. I maintain that Hermione's a very flawed character and that she needs a realization like this, even if its a bit harsh, to start doing something about her character flaws. She'll recover. Not everyone is going to be that lucky because they refuse to recognize what they did wrong. Dumbledore's like that, he's so used to being right about everything that he can't accept it when he isn't about something serious. And yes, both Eleanor Branstone and Graham Pritchard are named characters in the book - I saw the names and thought, why not? Don't worry - it doesn't mean Harry's headed back to Britain. He has more places to see, after all!**

**Read and Review please!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Finding a Place to Call Home**

**Moon: Hello everyone, I'm back! I do apologize for the fact that this is a) later then usual and b) shorter then the last chapter, but I haven't been having the greatest week, culmulating in getting hit by a car (thankfully I didn't get seriously hurt, but it was a bad shock) but I managed to throw this together. Meeting up with Remus and Sirius again, also meeting Jane Pritchard and her son Graham, who will be somewhat plot-important. I do not own Harry Potter.**

**Chapter 6: Meeting Up With Remus**

Harry woke up slowly the next day. It was late and he knew it, but he couldn't help it. His dreams had been undisturbed by nightmares; in fact he had some of the most pleasant dreams ever last night. He couldn't remember the last time he had slept so well. It wasn't just the spirit in his head that was helping him sleep better, though that was certainly a factor. He almost couldn't remember a time when his dreams weren't rent by nightmares, either of Voldemort doing something or of dark memories of the cupboard under the stairwell where he had spent his nights. So the sleep without these troubles was glorious.

That was just one factor, of course. The other thing was obvious as well. It was the bigger bed and the person next to him.

He turned his head slightly to see Astoria's blonde hair splashed over her face and the pillow, one arm around Harry, her chest rising and falling softly with her breathing. She looked like an angel asleep, a ray of heaven's light. Her hair was glowing slightly in the mid morning light. _She's beautiful_, he thought. _How'd I ever end up with someone like her?_

Harry looked up at the ceiling of their hotel and smiled to himself. Warmth had sprung up in his chest like a well that had been filled to the point of overflowing. The feeling of bliss had followed him persistently after he lost the darkness of his old life and he intended to ride that wave for as long as he could. Harry had come to realize it wasn't just the change of scenery that had changed him. It was putting behind him the things that had held him down.

He was at peace with himself and that was reacting with his magic. He felt stronger and more fulfilled then ever before. Having shaken off all the abuse he had suffered for so long, it was like being born all over again.

_I'm almost a normal boy now_, Harry thought with some amusement. Normal. There was a word that he thought he'd never be able to associate with himself. And yet here he was.

Well, not completely normal, perhaps. Most normal boys couldn't take round the world trips, nor did many find love as assuredly as the the sun rising in the morning before they became men. But he could finally stop wondering when Voldemort or one of his followers was going to jump out from around the corner and try to kill him, or if one of the people he cared about and trusted was going to turn on him and call him attention-seeking, crazy or dangerous. He could just do his homework, see sights and learn new things without people staring at his forehead or expecting him to be something he wasn't.

He could stay with the one who now held his heart, and would treasure it and cradle it as if it were made of glass. She would not break it or torment it the way everyone else had, but she would return his feelings with equal affection.

And there was the whole thing with his godfather's trial, which was coming up very soon.

It was almost surreal, having a life as a normal boy. Harry found that he had trouble sitting with his back to a closed door sometimes, as if he was still expecting someone from his old life to catch up with him. Despite the fact that he followed news from Britain to make sure that they weren't being followed, he kept thinking that something would come crashing down and take away the happiness he had been given.

He was thinking about going up the mountains to sightsee, like they had been over the past few weeks. Switzerland was one hell of a pretty country, he had decided. The only place that could possibly beat it out was New Zeland, which they would be seeing after Germany and Japan.

There was a tapping at the window. Harry looked up from Astoria and saw Hedwig at the window, a letter in her beak. Smiling, Harry got up carefully as not to disturb the sleeping girl next to him. He ran a hand through his messy hair and walked over to the window, letting the snowy owl in. "Hey there girl," He said warmly. Hedwig chirped and brushed against his hand.

Harry took the letter and opened it.

_Dear Harry,_

_I understand you might not have planned to move onto your next stop yet, but as you know Sirius's trial is fast approaching. The trial itself is less then a week and Sirius would like you to be here for it. I promise that it will be completely safe for you here – minimum press coverage at my flat and no one will try and take you back to Britain. We'd like to meet Astoria, as well. I understand the two of you are getting closer, according to the letters you've been sending. Sirius approves, by the way. I knew her parents in passing when we were at school, and I know that they were never involved with Voldemort's crowd. Her father is coming here for the trial, though Astoria has the call on whether or not she wants to meet up with him._

_Jane's currently fighting to get your custody moved back to Sirius. It was meant to be there in the first place and the Dursleys have been declared unsuitable. It probably won't take her that long. The woman's got a spine of steel and I think the envoys from Britain are terrified of her by this point. She's a tough witch. Married young, lost her husband not long after they were married. I think Sirius is starting to fancy her, personally. Would do him some good, to have normal interactions with someone after spending years in Azkaban and then with the Order. It'll be an interesting watch, she seems immune to his usual charms._

_Her son Graham was starting his first year at Hogwarts but she pulled him out when she found out about its history looking through your files. He's a very serious boy, startlingly intelligent. It's the way he applies it that can be a bit unsettling. The first time I met him he told me half my life story just looking at the way I was dressed, the way I walked and the way I held myself. He seems rather lonely, though, possibly because of this. _

_Also, I'm starting to date. Her name's Beverly Cavil, she's an expert Potions Master. She's a lovely young woman and I hope you'll like her. _

_From, Remus._

Harry did his best to restrain his glee. Remus was dating! He was so pleased. Remus's life was definitely taking a positive turn and he was glad of it. He also liked the sounds of Sirius possibly getting involved with Jane Pritchard; anyone who put Albus I-know-what's-best-for-you Dumbledore on probation was good enough for his eyes.

Harry's only real quandary was how to address the issue of Astoria's father and sister. Judging from the letter he sent last time he was genuinely sorry for what he had done, but Harry didn't think he'd be able to forgive the man for how lonely, threatened and alienated he had made Astoria feel for the years since her mother's death. How the man had tried to put out the light that had saved him.

However, he also understood how his wife's death could have affected him and Daphne as well. Maybe in time he'd be able to forgive him. Either way, Astoria had the final decision on the matter. He wouldn't make it for her.

He scribbled the beginnings of his reply on a paper and then turned his attention back to Astoria.

Harry leaned over and nipped at Astoria's ear lightly. "Wake up, Tori," he said lightly.

Astoria giggled and blinked her eyes open a few times. She smiled up at him. "Hi Harry. I think I like waking up that way."

Harry smiled at her, "You're welcome. I enjoy waking you up like that."

Astoria gave him one of her bright smiles that never failed to illuminate his heart and whatever room they were in. "It's not fair that you have such a pretty smile," He said sadly, "You could brainwash me with it. I only wish I had a weapon like that,"

Astoria laughed outright at this, "A weapon, me? Hardly. You're the knight in shinning armour and we both know it. _My _smile is hardly the most dangerous thing you've ever faced. You've sat through Granger's study hours! That takes a hardy spine."

Harry chuckled. "I suppose it does."

His angel pushed herself into a sitting position, still giggling, and said, "Oh, Hedwig's back. What's the scene?"

Harry smirked, "Remus got himself a girlfriend."

Astoria clapped. "Wonderful! Muggle or magical?"

"Magical. Potion's Master." Harry said. "You know Sirius's trial is in a week. Well, Remus was rather hoping we'd come early and be there for it. I know it means leaving her a little earlier then we intended, but I hoped you wouldn't mind."

Astoria shook her head, causing her hair to fall in front of her eyes, "Harry I know how important Sirius is to you. Of course we can go."

"There's more," Harry said, sitting down next to her again. He showed her the point in the letter where it said that her father was coming to see it. "What do you think, Tori?"

Astoria paused for the longest moment. Then she smiled, more slightly this time, and said, "I'm ready to forgive papa. He was scared for our future. After he lost mama, he lost his light. We all did. Its like trying to find your way on a moonless night. He was scrambling for a path and hit the first hard-worn one that presented itself to him. Before he really realized where it lead to." She turned and smiled at him. "But when he did he and Daph have chosen _me _over that path. That's more then the other girls parents would have done."

Harry just watched Astoria for a second, causing her to blink at him. "What?"

He smiled wryly and shook his head. "You still surprise me, Tori. But I think I believe you."

Astoria looked beseechingly at Harry. "You'll give them a chance, won't you Harry? Daddy and Daphne. I know Daphne might not have been very nice to you but she'll be different now. I promise."

Harry took a deep breath and met Astoria's green eyes steadily. "Of course I will. It's just a bit to take in, alright? I'm not sure how I feel about your dad just yet. I will meet him, with you."

Relief filled those pretty green eyes. Astoria leaned over and kissed Harry on the cheek. "Thank you Harry for giving him a chance. Now, when do we have to be there?"

"Any point during today."

**Sirius and Remus's Flat, two blocks away from the German Ministry of Magic**

Remus smiled warmly at his now-girlfriend Beverly Cavil, the sunlight was catching on her heather coloured hair as she moved about in the kitchen, preparing lunch for him, the kids, Sirius and Jane. The young woman was in her late twenties, which made Remus think that he might be too old for her but when he brought this up she wasn't having any of it. Beverly had told him in no uncertain terms when he tried to protest that he was the one who deserved better, and she would love no better then to be that person for him. Humbled, Remus forwent any further objections and began to see her on a regular basis.

Beverly was a perfect contrast to Jane Pritchard, Sirius's lawyer and potential girlfriend. Beverly was gentle, kind, thoughtful, and patient. Jane was hot tempered, snarky, wickedly intelligent in law, had no tolerance for stupidity and no time for those who fancied themselves something lofty. Beverly often had to sooth the other woman's temper when she stormed into the flat, cursing out Albus Dumbledore or the British Envoys or the Magical Britian in general, or whoever else had the misfortune of setting her off. Which was quite frequent these days.

Beverly was a calming presence, and a good help to Graham whenever he stayed over at the flat, which was becoming increasingly common. Remus couldn't help the feeling the Graham was trying to grow up to fast. Perhaps it was simply that his mind matured to quickly, sort of like Hermione, though decidedly more reserved and pointed then the abrasive bushy haired Gryffindor. A number of times either Beverly, Jane or Remus had found Graham asleep on a table past his bedtime with huge stacks of books sitting on either side of him.

"I don't know what to do with him," Jane had complained one day. "He can hardly interact with other children these days, and when I talk to him it's like dealing with a stranger. Graham is so smart, but he can't be bothered to study and he says that it will forever be impossible for him to make friends. He's becoming so moody and I have so little time to help him."

"He just hasn't found his niche yet, Jane." Beverly said soothingly, putting a hand on the attorney's shoulder. "Besides, with all this news I really don't think Hogwarts is best equipped to handle a child who's different in the way Graham is. Really, with their history I'm surprised he's been doing as well as he has. I bet he'll do better in a different environment."

"You got that right," Jane said belligerently. "I can't imagine what I was thinking, enrolling him there. Must have been some bad firewhiskey! Glad I pulled him out after this Tri-Wizard nonsense, greatest wizarding school there is indeed! With the way they treat children who dare to be gifted. Ugh. I do need to find him a new school..."

"Maybe Drumstrang?" Beverly suggested.

"That bloody school was the third involved with that disaster of a tournament, over my dead body...besides, I wouldn't trust that Headmaster as far as I could kick him..." Jane grumbled, starting to sort through the various papers regarding Sirius's trial and very likely release while Beverly continued to calm her down.

Sirius actually agreed with Jane later that day, which would continue to be a source of marvel to Remus. He couldn't imagine the younger Sirius he had once known hearing a single bad word about the school that had taken him away from his fanatic family or its headmaster. Then again, himself, Sirius and James hadn't been the brightest young boys around, however clever they had thought themselves to be. If they had been a bit brighter, James and Lily wouldn't have died due to a knife in the back from the last place they were expecting and none of this would have happened.

Shaking the memory off, Remus glanced over at Graham, who was sitting on the couch reading, dirty blonde hair framing his young face and storm grey eyes. The boy put up a good show, especially whenever he was in public, but Remus knew that he was lonely.

Harry had a knack for bringing together lost souls, making friends in unlikely places. If anyone could help the young Pritchard, he could.

There was a knock on the door. Graham looked up from his book and said casually, "They must be here now, Remus, Beverly."

Remus found a grin spreading across his face even before he strode over to the door and swung it open to reveal his friend's son and nephew in all but blood Harry Potter standing on the doorway, smiling. Standing next to him was a smiling blonde girl who could only be Astoria Greengrass. There was a warmth to her eyes that Remus never would have associated with a girl of pureblood upbringing these days.

"Professor Lupin!" Harry said happily, throwing himself into the older werewolf's arms. Remus let out a _woof _and then smiled affectionately down at the boy with messy dark hair. Astoria trailed in behind him, watching Lupin with a nervous smile.

"Just Remus now, Harry. I'm not your Professor now. Just family," Remus said warmly, rubbing Harry's back. Harry let him go and grinned up at him. Remus then turned his attention to Astoria, "And this is Astoria Greengrass. I remember you; you were a good student despite some of your classmates obvious contempt for my classes."

Astoria blushed, "I didn't understand why Draco was so determined to throw away his first year with a competent teacher just because you couldn't afford good robes. It's not very fair of him either, but he doesn't understand that. Not when he's born with a silver spoon in his mouth."

"You seem to have escaped that noose," Remus remarked. "Makes you stronger then him."

Astoria blushed harder, and Harry put an arm on her shoulder. "Is Sirius here?" He asked hopefully, he had missed his godfather a good deal over the summer holidays.

"Not yet," Beverly said, emerging from the kitchen and walking over to where everyone was standing. "He and Jane were sitting through some more things regarding his trial and whatever connections to Britain have to be filed. Personally, I think it's almost garunteed that he'll get aquitted. Poor Jane almost had an aneurysm over the blatant miscarrage of justice that had occurred in Britain that no one could be bothered to correct."

Harry smiled hesitantly at her, "You're Beverly Cavil?"

"Yes, I am," Beverly confirmed, offering Harry her hand. "It's nice to finally meet you Harry."

Harry shook, his smile growing more confident. "This is Astoria."

"Charmed," Beverly said warmly. "I don't know if the two of you know, but Jane's son Graham will be staying with us for the time being. He will have just started his first year at school." She turned her attention to the couch. "Graham, come and say hello."

Graham, who had been watching Harry and Astoria's entrance with unfathomable dark eyes sat up and very deliberately marked his place in the book. He stood up slowly and walked over. He was slight and almost waif-like in size, slender and lean. But there was a hardness and a silent intelligence behind eyes the colour of a raging storm. His dirty blonde hair was carefully brushed and fell down the sides of his face in slight waves. "Hello Harry," He said calmly. "Astoria Greengrass."

"Hello Graham." Harry said with the most sincere warmth he could without sounding phony or condescending. He'd had good experience with both, so he must have done something right because a flash of surprise went past Graham's eyes.

"We're working on dinner now," Remus said, "How about you help them get settled, Graham?"

"Alright," Graham's response was crisp and unemotional, and he nodded to indicate the stairwell before walking off in that direction. Astoria shot Harry a curious look, the younger boy's behaviour was obviously somewhat unnerving. "Let's give him a chance," Harry said softly. She nodded and they followed him up the stairs.

Graham was waiting for them at the top, Harry said, "So you're Graham Pritchard, I saw you sorted into Slytherin this year," Internally he winced, not much of a conversation starter. Probably made it look like he was being forced into this conversation as well.

Graham paused, and after a moment he looked at Harry and said without preamble, "Going to ask my mother to add abuse of a minor to Dumbledore's obstruction of justice charges?"

Harry was so taken aback he took a step backwards. Whatever he'd been expecting Graham to say or do when meeting the boy-who-lived, this certainly wasn't it. "What?"

"After the Tournament? I would have sued beforehand," Graham continued, gazing unblinkingly at him. "With Hogwarts having been a death trap ever since you entered it, I'm surprised it took you as long as you did to make a break for it."

"I-how?" Astoria stammered, blinking.

Graham looked them up and down. "It's obvious, isn't it, if you're looking carefully enough?" He gestured at Harry and then started to talk, "I saw you once in passing on the train to Hogwarts. You were already wearing you Hogwarts robes despite almost everyone else waiting until they got much closer to the school before putting them on, most people find them uncomfortable but you looked quite happy to be changing into them. You were putting a shirt in your suitcase, but it was three times your size, could have been a hand-me down from another relative but your lip was curled in disgust as you put it away. Factoring that in with what came out in the muggle papers and its clear you've never been bought anything your own size until the uniform, this also makes sense with several passing comments in the halls that you're often seeing wearing a Weasley Jumper despite the youngest boy's constant complaints that they were embarrassing. Likely they were once warn by your cousin, the added bonus being that they covered you so completely the muggles didn't notice the number of bruises on your body. The nurse's more advanced healing eliminated most of the scars, however the healing magic she uses is yet to be perfected so your fingers and some of your skin are slightly crooked and off colour, they've been broken multiple times and never seen to properly prior to this."

Graham pointed a finger at Harry's neck. "Yes, despite the school nurse having you visit her wings with frankly alarming frequency no one thought it was odd that you had arrived at school looking as though someone had tried to strangle you. By the size of the bruises it was likely your uncle's fault. Along with that was the consideration that whenever you spoke to someone you didn't know, or someone who was taller or higher in authority you go tense at the shoulders but keep your leg muscles relaxed, I saw _that _both with the students of the other schools when your name was called during the selection and when you just spoke with Beverly."

He paused, and then continued heedless to Harry's dumbstruck stare, "Now another muggleborn in your place would have probably been taken aside to ask what was hurting them, but not you. This, of course, is the crucial point that sends you under the radar. You're the boy-who-lived, so most people already had a pre-existing image of you and seemed prepared to factor out whatever reality their faced with to meet this image. This covers most people in the school but there are several people at the head table who were old enough to have known and taught your parents, most noticeably Albus Dumbledore. Now, your very first year here and something is moved from Gringotts to Hogwarts itself? And Albus [happens] to be away the night you investigate it? This was his way of testing the waters to see what you were capable of, the defences were downgraded to the talents of the two gropies he'd assigned you-"

"Assigned me?" Harry interrupted, startled, "How could you possibly know about that?"

Graham blinked and raised an eyebrow, "It's obvious, isn't it? I heard the story, out of an entire train of nearly six hundred students and the first person you meet is the latest son of a family of Dumbledore's most prominent supporters? Now, this could seem innocuous since the rest of the family treats you normally, but you apparently felt compelled to remain friends with someone who was constantly trying to undermine you and grabbed at your fame? And the Granger girl, oh so talented, determined to become the best, slowly degenerating into a pushy harpy – with them as the closest thing you had to friends you wouldn't notice the things happening to you were out of line. Second year, a man who had seen the Chamber opened last time apparently didn't think to evacuate the school despite the fact that the last opening ended in murder; he wanted to see you kill the beast and take another step closer to the hero he wanted you to be. Ignoring the fact that most twelve year old boys in that situation would have been devoured or turned to stone. Third year, actually allows Dementors to be near a school full of energetic children who pour vitality and life, after living on a diet of a few good thoughts a year from insane prisoners? And then the Tournament, meant for adults, somehow getting you enrolled and are _completely _isolated from the general student populace and any teacher who might have helped you otherwise. Dumbledore has everything to gain from this, you would depend on him for support of any kind which you would undoubtedly see as the generosity of a man who could see you for who you really are. Couldn't you see his body language when he took the fourth paper? He was expecting it. Hoped for it. You would be forced to grow more powerful and closer to whatever he wanted you to be, and he remains under suspicion."

Graham drew his monolouge to a close and looked expectantly at Harry and Astoria. After a minute Astoria was the one who regained her voice, "You were only at Hogwarts for a few months. How could you learn all this?"

Graham smirked slightly with no humour. "As the benefits of a good Slytherin, unlike Malfoy who's more of a Gryffindor then anything else, I waited, watched, listened, and observed. Everything else I could piece together by virtue of what I knew happened and what I had just learned. Unfortunately, it seems that most people can't be bothered to pay attention to what happens right in front of them."

He snorted and tossed his hair over one shoulder. "Adults claim to know what's best, but we're constantly handed obstructive lies, manipulations and half-truths as they bumble their way through situations they can only escape feet first. Getting them out of the way when you need something done can be so cumbersome." Graham said this as though it was a fact of life. Snarky. Arrogant. Indifferent.

Harry watched Graham for another long moment. "That was amazing." He said flatly.

Graham blinked and took a startled step backwards. "It was?" He blurted out, loosing his casual tone.

Astoria grinned at the young boy, the wheels in her brain already turning. "Can I go next?"

Graham shook his head slightly, "that's not what people usually say."

Harry raised an eyebrow. "What do people usually say?"

Graham shifted on one foot. "Get lost, runt." He said uneasily.

Harry understood in a moment. He'd guessed from Remus's letter and from the way he had greeted him that Graham was...different, and people in his experience often resented such people. Graham had thought they were talking down at him, or expected something of him that he wasn't, and this was obviously a sore point for him. So he showed off what he could do, expecting them to get angry and defensive or to shun him. Whatever he had just said about expectations, he had clearly had his own about how Harry would act around him, and he had just disproved them. "Is it that easy for you? You can just look at someone and guess half their life story?"

"Well, not just a look," Graham said, uncertainty now plain in his tone. "It takes a bit longer then that." His eyes flashed again, clearly angry he had admitted such, and then that cool cockiness was back in his voice. "But people can't hide their thoughts from me for long, no matter how strong their mental magic is. It's a matter of observation."

"I've never seen anyone do that," Astoria said admiringly.

Graham looked up at her and Harry, and there was a ray of hope creeping into his eyes. Harry felt sympathy, here was another young boy who had spent who knew how long certain that he would never be accepted, being offered kindness and genuine friendliness. "Thank you," He said softly.

Now Astoria's smile was becoming predatory. "I think you can help me with something Graham. I mean, if you don't mind."

Harry repressed a shiver. Astoria may be the light in his life, but she was still a Slytherin, and she had no love of Albus Dumbledore. He could only wonder what she was planning now.

**End Chapter**

**I freely admit that the character of Graham walked into my head after I watched the first season of Sherlock, though Graham is not meant to be a carbon copy of the famous detective. He's just a too-intelligent for his age boy (in a different way from Hermione) who can see more then most. I promise more hard examination of the failings of magical Britain next chapter, but I wanted to write something lower-key while I walk of the shock of my accident. However, next chapter will deal with Sirius's trial and there will be plenty of blame to go around on a certain too-perfect-to-be-true professor and his groupies.**

**Read and Review please!**


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